Of Heroes and Rogues
by helloklarice
Summary: Princess Mara is haunted by guilt after sending her beloved Elliot to his death, and now that she is leading a revolution as a Hero, she has no desire to fall in love again. However, fate is a tough opponent to beat, and she finds herself in a close friendship with Captain Ben Finn. As she fights for the throne of Albion, can she find happiness again? Events from Fable III.
1. Chapter 1 - The Unwilling Hero

**Hello and welcome to my first attempt at a fanfic, and, consequently, my first step back into the writing world since...high school, perhaps? *shivers* It's been a while.**

**I am not the only one to have fallen in love with Ben Finn during my Fable 3 days, I am sure. Upon finding out that *SPOILER* you cannot marry him in the game, I was absolutely sure that Lionhead did that to infuriate female (and male) gamers all around. There was no way they created this character (and had Simon Pegg voice him, that wonderful genius) without knowing that people would jump at the opportunity to fanfic the heck outta him. **

**Anyways, a few warnings about my writing: first of all, I am just a bit ADD when it comes to my stories. I get so excited about what is coming next that I tend to speed through what I am currently writing to get there. Not a good habit, IMO. So, you will find around 5 different "scenes" usually per chapter. Not unusual, but if you ever feel reading this that the scenes jump around a bit, that is the reason why. (I'm working on flow, I promise!)**

**Secondly, I am a very visual storyteller. This can be a blessing and a curse. I see a vision in my mind, and I try to transcribe it on paper. Some of the inner struggles of the characters may be lost in the translation, so I try to make up for it as much as I can. **

**Thirdly, I have found that three is a strong number, but I cannot figure out how to fill the third point. So there you have it.  
**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter One**

**The Unwilling Hero**

She could see his face. His beautiful green eyes, his strong, angular jaw, the way he just barely squinted at her when he smiled. She could smell his cologne, taste his lips, feel the contours of his body. She could recreate him from memory just by closing her eyes. He was all she needed.

"Mara."

She could remember how he used to whisper her name to her as he would wrap his arms around her waist and pull her into his embrace. Just the sound of his deep voice rumbling into her ear sent electricity through her, tingling from the top of her head, down to the ends of each toe. His arms were strong, and it was there, wrapped tightly in them, that she felt the safest.

"Mara!"

She could hear the panic in his voice as he called out her name one last time. She watched in agony as the King's guards rushed around him, grabbing him and forcing his hands into irons as they struggled to push him out the door of the throne room, which had been thrown into chaos. She screamed and wrestled her way past the onslaught of protesters making their way toward the throne. She threw herself at the guards, kicking and shoving them out of her way, and threw herself around his neck.

"I love you," he said, trying to contain the fear in his voice.

She picked her head up and shoved her mouth onto his. He pushed back with a violent kiss before the guards wrenched him away, his face warped in terror.

"I love you!" He screamed at her, and she watched in horror as he disappeared from her sight. Spots of black began to encircle her vision, and she gasped desperately for breath. She felt her legs give way from under her as darkness took her.

* * *

"ELLIOT!"

Sir Walter Beck jolted from his sleep and reached for his sword instinctively when Mara's scream bellowed from the bed across the room. It took him a moment to gather his bearings before he realized that she was having another nightmare, and he sighed and rubbed his sleepy eyes.

It had been four months since that gruesome day, and the Princess dreamed about it at least every other night. She and Elliot had gone to the King to argue for the release of a group of civilians accused of leading a protest against the monarchy. King Logan, in an outrage, agreed to their release, but to the horror of everyone present, he ordered that Mara's fiance sacrifice his life in the protesters' stead. The poor girl had watched as the man she loved was dragged away, straight to his execution. There hadn't even been any time for her to argue his case with the King, her own brother, to plead for his pardon. The King who, Walter had always thought, looked upon Elliot as his own brother.

He looked across the room, dimly lit with the early morning sun, at the sleeping form of the princess. Aldous, her collie dog, paced frantically by her bed, whimpering as she tossed beneath her blankets. A faint blue light, almost undistinguishable from the morning glow, emanated from her skin as she slept in a nightmare, showing the intertwining will-lines that crawled down her arms, and up her neck. To any normal person, they looked like a normal tattoo, but Walter knew that they were the mark of a Hero, and the only living Hero since Mara's father died. She was a necessity to the survival of this kingdom, and it hurt Walter, who looked upon her very much as his own daughter.

It was the evening of Elliot's execution that Sir Walter had decided to sneak Princess Mara out of the castle for her own safety. The princess was, understandably, shocked to discover that she was a Hero, and accepted her father's Hero Sword without any discussion. However, with Elliot dead, she had no determination to do much of anything, but Walter knew how she pushed herself only because of her duty to her kingdom. She had been excelling in combat training, and had pinned Walter in practice every day for the past month. She had also become quite an amazing shot, and Walter was running out of things to teach her.

The old man sighed and rose to his feet, a loud, piercing crack sounding from his spine. He yawned quite audibly and waddled drowsily past the sleeping princess, who had thankfully calmed down since her outburst, with her faithful canine companion sitting by her side. The aroma of bacon burst into the room when he opened the door, and he floated down the stairs of the inn to the dining hall.

* * *

Mara stopped to take one last look at the village of Brightwall, standing tall upon the mountain against the sunrise. She had spent the last few months living at the inn with Sir Walter, mastering swordsmanship and marksmanship and any other possible "-ships" that could perhaps help her with starting a revolution against her brother, Logan. She had grown to love the little town, and the people of Brightwall had, in turn, grown to love her just as much. The admirable, hard working folk of the city continued about their comfortable daily lives in peace, far from the violence and tyranny in the capital Bowerstone. The quaint stone cottages, built snugly onto the mountainside, housed many families and children; the great Brightwall Academy towered over the town as if it was a mighty guardian against the Mistpeak Mountains.

The sentry guarding the city gates gave her a final salute as she looked back, and she sighed, resolving herself to follow Walter across the mighty Brightwall bridge to the other side of the great ravine, to whatever was to come next.

"Walter," she whined, "where are we going now? I rather liked Brightwall, and I don't expect that whatever you have in store for our next holiday is going to be at all comparable."

"Well, it's hardly a holiday, anyway," Sir Walter answered, stretching his thick arms over his head, "It should take us about a day or so to get to Mourningwood, where you will meet some people who could prove to be very important allies."

Mara let out a chuckle at the unfortunately named "Mourningwood."

"I heard that." Sir Walter called over his shoulder as they descended the mountain. "But don't let the name fool you. I only hope we get there before sundown. You'll find that after dark, Mourningwood is one of the most dangerous places in Albion."

Mara kicked a rock, and she watched as it rolled down the ravine into the river below. She could see a deer at the bottom of the gorge, sipping from the water as birds called out a morning tune. The mountains presented a mighty green path in front of her, and she breathed in the crisp spring breeze that Aldous also seemed to find very likable as he pranced ahead with his nose high in the air. She didn't concern herself too much with Walter's ominous warning about Mourningwood, for how could she possibly be troubled with such a beautiful landscape ahead of her?

* * *

Mourningwood smelled. It smelled rancid. Mara tried desperately to keep the stench of rotting trees and dirty swamp water from wafting into her nose, but to no avail. Mighty trees loomed over them as they pressed deeper into the foggy marsh, blocking any sunlight that Mara believed didn't even seem to exist at all in such a dreadfully dismal place.

"Walter, what on earth is that smell?" She coughed, prying her foot from the mud that was swallowing the little wooden bridge they were walking on. Walter laughed his deep, hearty laugh.

"That, my dear princess, is the stench of the death marshes." He made a grand gesture to the bog as it seemed to dig deeper and deeper in to the distance. "Rather inspiring, isn't it? Bet you're awake now."

"Despite myself," Mara muttered, glancing at the green and gray landscape that surrounded her, bestrewed with old headstones. "I never knew such a place existed in Albion."

"You're a long way from the castle now, Princess."

Mara sighed sadly at the thought of the castle; she desperately missed her own bed and the warm fireplace that she and Elliot would often fall asleep in front of. She missed the castle gardens where she played every day with Logan and Elliot when they were children. Walter noticed Mara's sudden gloomy attitude, and turned to her. "Do you remember when you were a child, and I would tell you stories about your father, the great Hero King of Albion?" Mara nodded. "Do you remember what you would say to me?"

Mara smiled nostalgically, looking up into Walter's eyes, the eyes of the man who had taken the responsibility for raising her as his own daughter when the king passed away. She felt like a child again as she remembered what she used to say every time he told her stories about her father. "Teach me how to be a Hero."  
Walter smiled lovingly and tapped her on the nose. "That you did. You've come a long way since then, my dear. Now, let us get a move on. I really have no desire to be out here after sundown, which isn't far off now."

Mara couldn't see how Sir Walter even knew where the sun was in all this boggy mess, but she followed his lead without question, as she had her whole life.  
After what seemed like hours wading through the swamp, with Aldous finding many scents to investigate along the way, Walter joyfully exclaimed as they rounded a patch of muddy trees. Before them stood an old, crumbling building, which Mara could only assume used to be a cathedral of some sort, and she recognized the bright red uniforms of Albion soldiers dotting the walls of stone that were partly overcome with vines and trees.

They approached, and a sharp voice called out to them from the ramparts. "Stop! Be you men, or be you hollow men?"  
Mara looked up at the sentry who guarded the gate they were standing at, confused at the implication that they were "hollow men." Hollow men were things of fairy tails and stories meant to frighten children into behaving. She had concluded long ago that they were not, in fact, real.

"Are you daft, boy?" Walter bellowed. "Open the gate before I knock it down! And while you're at it, run and tell Major Swift that Sir Walter is here to see him!"

Voices from inside the gate began to chime as soon as Walter finished his fiery remark. "Open the gate! Sir Walter is here! Open the gate!"  
Mara rested her hands on her hips as the heavy wooden gate was wearily lifted to let them through. What in the world did they need such fortifications for out in this godforsaken place?

* * *

Captain Benjamin Finn of the King's Army was taking a grand piss when the fort erupted into excitement.

"It's Sir Walter! Sir Walter is here!"

"Open the gates!"

"Stand at bloody attention, it's Sir Walter!"

Ben sighed as his much needed relief came to a conclusion just as Major Swift's voice called out to him from across the fort. "Where the bloody hell is Ben? Ben! Get your arse over here to greet Sir Walter!"

"Aye, sir, let me get my pants on!" He yelled back, buckling his trousers as he turned to march over to the guests. Towering above Major Swift, robust as a building, was Sir Walter Beck, sure enough. Ben saluted the famous knight. "Fancy seeing an old man like you all the way out here, Sir Walter."

"Ben Finn!" Walter laughed, shaking the entire fort like a foghorn. "It's been too long, boy! We've come to make a proposition I think you will be very fond of."

"You came all this way to 'proposition' us, Wally? And I thought you came to save us from the Legions of the Damned."

Sir Walter laughed again and swept Ben into a bear hug. It was while being squeezed to death by Walter that Ben noticed the old knight had not come to the fort alone. It never took Captain Finn more than an instant to recognize the tantalizing image of a female figure, and the one that accompanied Wally was a captivating specimen indeed. Long legs, milky white skin, dark brown hair that glinted bits of red in the minimal sunlight the fort allowed to shine upon her. He also noticed upon his examination an intricate set of designs imprinted on her neck that crawled up her jawline from beneath her collar. He wondered what the tattoo—and the pair of God given appendages—looked like underneath the tunic she wore.

"And who, may I ask, is this enchanting creature?" He asked, bowing to the lady.

"This," the lady answered sharply, "is off limits."

Ben straightened up in surprise, and he was met with a pair of piercing brown eyes. The woman smiled humorlessly. "You must be Captain Finn. Sir Walter warned me about you."

Walter and Swift giggled like schoolchildren behind them. "Ben," Walter finally said, "This is Mara. And that is Aldous." A black and white collie dog sat proudly at the side of the woman called Mara, and barked angrily at Ben until he backed away.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Ben muttered, slightly afraid to take his eyes off the beast.

"Ben is the best marksman in Albion!" Swift bragged to the woman, who seemed less than impressed. "Ben, why don't you show Miss Mara around the fort while Walter and I have a chat?" Ben sighed.

"I see, make me do all the bloody work around here." He gestured for the woman to walk ahead of him, and he took the opportunity to get a glorious view of her rather stunningly tight—

A large hand came down hard on Ben's shoulder. He looked up sheepishly at Sir Walter's towering figure, who was smiling down at him. "Try anything, boy, and I'll tear you limb from limb."

"Right, then," Ben said, trying to make himself as tall as possible as he stepped away from the giant beside him. "On we go."

He could still feel Walter's stinging glare bare into his back as he ascended the ramparts with the supposedly forbidden woman.

* * *

Mara was not unaware of the hungry stares the soldiers were giving her as she was shown around the fort by Captain Finn. She avoided looking at them as they stopped whatever they were doing to look at her, some even throwing out an "attaboy" at the captain, who seemed to find it rather amusing. She had no idea how these soldiers would become the "important allies" Walter told her they would be, but she pressed on and climbed the battlements with Aldous following closely.  
She looked out over the depressing sight of Mourningwood from the ramparts, and a chill traveled down her spine as the sunset wrapped the marshes in an eery glow. "Why is there a fort out in the middle of such a place, anyway?" She asked the blond haired captain, unable to take her eyes off the bog.

"Hell if I know," he answered, leaning on the wall in front of them. "Rather gloomy place if you ask me, I'd even choose to be stationed in Bowerstone over this hell hole. There are at least women in Bowerstone."

Mara ignored the captain's quip, but the thought of Bowerstone brought back a certain painful memory she would rather not have recalled. She shook her head before she could let the memory overtake her.

"You'll have to excuse the men, by the way," the captain continued, "they haven't seen a woman in months. Especially an attractive one like yourself. Can't expect them to keep it to themselves, you know."

"Captain Finn," she said sharply, her eyes fixed on a strange blue glow deep in the trees. "I would appreciate it if you did not objectify me, to my face."

Ben laughed. "If you're trying to cause me to lose interest, my dear, you are failing quite miserably!"

Mara glared at the captain. She had never had to deal with such impropriety from a man before, and the fact that he was indeed rather handsome only made her angrier. He smiled with delight at her annoyance.

"Close your mouth, darling. You look like a trout."

Mara had not realized her mouth was open in awe, and she clamped it shut and turned her eyes back out to the marshes to mask her embarrassment. She recalled Elliot pulling her hair in the castle garden when they were children, and she assumed that this was the adult equivalent.

The thought of Elliot made her chest hurt, and she stared again at the blue glow in the distance to distract herself. She hadn't noticed before that it was moving, darting erratically around the trees. Then, there was another. And another.

"A will o' the wisp?" Mara mumbled to herself, and the captain shot up at the term.

"A what?" He asked, following Mara's gaze. The blue lights danced over the ground before digging themselves in the dirt and disappearing.

Before Mara could comprehend the light's disappearance, the ground shook beneath it and with a terrifying roar, a skeleton emerged from the spot, the light embedded in its chest. Mara stared in horror as she realized that the stories were true.

"HOLLOW MEN!" Ben screamed down at the fort as he unstrapped his rifle from his back. "They're early tonight." He took a shot and Mara watched in amazement as his bullet pierced the center of a hollow man's skull before he was completely emerged from the ground. This scoundrel was known as the Army's greatest sharpshooter, and Mara believed it.

The soldiers below erupted into chaos as they scrambled to grab their weapons and position themselves at the ramparts. Mortars groaned as they were turned toward the marshes where more and more skeletons were digging themselves from their graves.  
Mara unstrapped her rifle and joined in the mighty chorus of gunshots as night fell over the fort.


	2. Chapter 2 - Friends in Low Places

**Chapter 2**

**Friends in Low Places**

* * *

Ben had to hand it to her, this girl was a pretty good shot. He took the opportunity to sneak a look or two at Mara as she fired at the hollow men down below. There was something unbelievably sexy about a woman shooting a rifle, and the way Mara handled it, it was quite distracting to the young captain.

"Hold the gates!"

Voices from the ground pulled him out of his fantasy, and he looked down to see his men pushing themselves against the gate to keep the hollow men from coming in. Before he could jump down to help them, the gates gave way, and hollow men poured through the opening like water through a broken dam. Ben continued to shoot from the ramparts, taking down multiple hollow men easily with single shots, but it seemed useless. As soon as he took one down, another was there to fill its place.

A rush of color pushed past Ben and he turned to see Mara leap from the ramparts.

"What are you doing!?" He yelled, but she was already in the air, and she landed lightly on her feet in the middle of the onslaught. She unsheathed the gigantic sword that she carried on her back, and began cutting away at the hollow men, taking them down by the dozens with beautiful flourishes. As she fought, the marks Ben noticed earlier began to glow blue like the sword, and she shone among the chaos of the battle.

Ben nearly forgot he was fighting when he saw the blue light she emitted.

_It can't be…_

The distraction she presented nearly cost Ben his head when a Hollow man swung a rusty sword at his neck, and he deflected the attack with the butt of his gun before extinguishing the light that fueled the monster.

_A Hero?_

Ben had been raised on stories about the old Hero King of Albion, and the glowing will lines that shone upon his skin when engaged in battle. It was supposedly a side effect of the magic Heroes were capable of using, and the more Ben glanced at the woman's sword as she fought, the more he began to believe that there was magic embedded in its forging. But Heroes were believed to be extinct after the late king's death, and it was thought that Heroes were linked through blood ties. Therefore, if this girl was a Hero…

He forced himself to abandon the thought and focused on the battle before him. The added benefit of Walter and this mysterious warrior-woman called Mara put ease on the worn soldiers, and they were able to cut down the horde of Hollow men with more ease than the days before.

The dog was not useless in the fighting. As Mara sent the hollow men to the ground, Aldous would pounce on them and rip their heads from their bodies. Ben strapped his rifle to his back and unsheathed his sword as he rushed down to the ground to help the pair, though he could see they didn't need it. The woman's fighting was effortless, almost like a dance. She slashed gracefully at the monsters and sent them to a second death with flourishes they certainly did not deserve; the way she killed her foes seemed almost beautiful. It was much more elegant than the stiffly formal fighting style the soldiers had been trained in, and it flowed from her as if she was in a trance. Before Ben realized it, the number of adversaries was decreasing. He watched as Mara sprinted toward the last hollow man and without interruption, sprang forward and kicked the monster back, hooking her elbow about it's neck, and with a swift jerk of her arms, snapped the skeleton's head clean off its spine. The soldiers howled with excitement as she stretched her arms, the skull of her victim dropping with a thunk to the ground. Her eyes were blazing, and the blue lines that engulfed her like flames began to subside as she sheathed her sword. She then kneeled to tousle the dog's fur as he jumped excitedly toward her, then led him away to find Walter.

Ben crossed the fort to Major Swift, who was surveying the damage as the the soldiers began to recover from the nightly ambush. "Three men dead, my dear Captain. I expected worse."

"That's three more than I would like," Ben replied. Unfortunately, it was just another three lives wasted in the pointless service of the King, and he couldn't allow himself to upset himself over it. He distracted himself by watching as Swift made his way to Walter and Mara and could not help but listen to their conversation.

"Why didn't you use your magic?" Walter asked to her as she cleaned her sword. Ben jumped when he heard this, and jerked his head over to stare at the girl in confusion. As he studied her, he could see that the markings on the sword that had shone so brightly matched the markings on her neck and rifle. He shook his head, dismissing the thought.

"I didn't need to," she responded as the dog Aldous nudged his nose under her arm searching for attention. Ben smirked and turned his head away, intending to return to his men. Lucky mutt, he thought.

"I'm afraid I must side with Sir Walter on this," Swift added, "I believe my men would be much more eager to side with you if they saw your true power, Princess."

Ben whirled around in shock at the word, and couldn't stop himself from shouting. "Princess!?" The three jolted at his voice and he marched toward the woman, with an unintentionally accusing finger pointed at her. "So you are a Hero after all?"

"Captain!" Swift scolded, but the Princess put up a hand to stop him.

"I had hoped to keep it a secret, Captain Finn, until I knew I could count on your support," she said calmly. Ben realized he was still pointing his finger at her and quickly dropped his hand to his side.

"Your support?" Ben looked from her to Walter, then at Swift. "Support for what?"

The Princess looked him over thoughtfully, and Swift lowered his voice. "It's alright, Princess. Ben is perhaps the most trustworthy man you will meet."

Ben blinked a few times and cleared his throat. "Well, Swiftie, I didn't know you were keeping secrets from me." He raised his voice a bit. "Support for what?"

"A revolution, Captain." The Princess said in a sharp, commanding voice. "To overthrow the tyrannical king. My brother, Logan."

Ben didn't realize his mouth had dropped nearly to his feet. He made a noise that slightly resembled that of a choking cat, and turned his eyes back to Swift. "You knew about this?"

Swift let out a laugh that shook his majestically sculpted mustache and clapped Ben on the shoulder. "Ah, Ben! Of course I wasn't going to keep it from you forever, boy! But it's only been Walter and myself for the past few years, hardly a revolution to tell you about, really."

Ben allowed his mind to wrap around all the things that had just been told to him. A revolution? Good God, a revolution! It was about bloody time, and this warrior princess would overthrow the king. He turned to look at the Princess and he felt his blood suddenly abandon his face. Bugger, that was the princess of Albion. He stumbled through all the things he had said to her and kicked himself. He nearly felt ashamed for all the thoughts he had been having about her, though that guilt faded quickly when he noticed her fiery stare…

"No, no, you bloody idiots!" Swift's sudden outburst brought Ben back to reality and he turned to see the Major marching angrily toward a group of soldiers burying the dead. "Not in the fort, outside! Outside! Don't you remember what happened with Lieutenant Simmons!?"

Walter patted Ben as he followed Swift, and Ben awkwardly turned to the Princess, who had taken a seat on a crate by the fort wall. Aldous was rolled over on his back, shamefully begging for a tummy rub, and the tired woman obliged. Ben could have sworn the dog winked at him.

"So," he ventured, taking a seat next to her, "a princess, huh?"

The Princess sneered. "Do not assume I am anything like my brother. I may be a princess, but I do care for the lower classes, despite what people may think."

Ben looked at her for a long moment, and when he finally mustered the courage to speak, he couldn't keep his voice from sounding like a child in awe. "Are you really a Hero?"

She sighed. "I suppose so. That's what these mean, anyway." She rolled her sleeve up to her elbow, showing him her arm, which was covered in intricate designs flowing down to her knuckles. They were still faintly glowing from the excitement of the fighting. He reached toward her instinctively, then stopped himself. "May I?"

She nodded, and he took her arm in his hands and traced the will lines with his fingers. He held back a chuckle at the distinct difference between them; his rough, calloused hands against her smooth, ivory skin almost seemed comedic. Despite himself, feeling how soft her skin was sent a jolt of excitement through him, and he wondered if she was feeling the same at his touch. He looked up and saw that her eyes, focused on the dog rolling around in the dirt in front of her, were regrettably indifferent.

He turned his gaze back to the will lines, which were now nothing more than a faint embossment on her skin. "Are—" he hesitated, unsure if his curiosity would be considered inappropriate, "Are they all over?"

The Princess, to his surprise, chuckled. "Yes," she whispered. Ben knew she was not meaning to be seductive, but dammit if he didn't want to ravish her at the thought. He shook his head and straightened himself. "So," he said, a little louder than he meant to, "you're quite a fighter, you know that?"

Aldous brought her a bone he found on the body of a Hollow man and set it at her feet. Ben didn't want to admit how adorable it was when she threw it and the dog chased happily after it.

"Walter taught me everything I know," she explained with a smile. "I never realized why he was so adamant about my training, until now."

"Now that you're a runaway Princess?" he teased, and she let out a small laugh at the idea. "Why did you decide to go down the treason path, anyway?"

The smile faded, and Ben wondered if he should have asked the question, though he couldn't figure out why. Was is because Logan was her brother? Why did he care, anyway?

The Princess took a deep breath and stood. "Because the King did something unforgivable. He needs to be punished."

Ben wondered which of Logan's many unspeakable crimes was the one she referred to, and he watched her, mesmerized, as she walked away.

* * *

Ben pushed his legs as hard as he could to beat the sunset as he ran up the hill toward his family home. The unimpressive shack that housed the Finn family sat in a group of similar houses, with a crumbling well at the center. As Ben neared the house, he could see the comforting shape of his mother, Eleanor, standing at the well, no doubt gossiping with the other wives while their dead-beat husbands were down at the town pub spending money they did not have. Ben felt a twinge of pain in his chest that he could not explain when he saw her gentle face, and felt an overwhelming urge to throw himself at her and have her comfort him as if he were a child again.

"Mum!" he cried, and she turned toward him in surprise as he toppled over, breathless from his sprint.

"By Avo, Benjamin," she exclaimed, pulling him up to face her. "What has gotten you so worked up?"

"Quentin," he gasped, "where is he?"

Worry flashed across his beautiful mother's face, a look that she sported often having raised four boys. "He—he's in the house. What's happened, Ben? What has he done?"

Ben broke away from her and bolted for the house. "Go stay with Mrs. Ferris for a while, Mum! Don't come to the house, please don't!"

His older brother, Quentin, was sitting at the slab of wood the Finns called a dining table when Ben flew through the door. "Benny! What are you doing, brother? You nearly took the door off its hinges—"

Ben ran to the cupboard in the kitchen and grabbed his gun as his other brothers, Jason and Will, wandered into the room. "Quent, those men are coming here. The ones who you owe money to. They're coming to kill you."

Quentin had no time to react as the door suddenly went flying across the house in a flurry of splinters, and five brawny men with tattoos covering their leathery skin and wreaking of old tobacco filed into the room. They bypassed Ben and the others with their swords drawn, and went straight for Quentin, plunging their weapons deep into his chest; a disturbing gurgling noise erupted from his brother's mouth as blood spilled out of it, and the attackers continued hacking and slashing their way through his body until he was a mangled corpse on the floor.

"NO!" Ben screamed, and turned to Will and Jason. "Help me! Why won't you move?" He aimed at the intruders and fired, letting out cries of anger as his bullets did nothing to stop them. They continued to hack at Quentin's lifeless body, and Ben frantically reached for more bullets in his pocket. He felt something unfamiliar in his fist as he pulled it back out, and looked down to see he had found nothing but peas in his pocket. He looked back at his gun, and saw that it was after all nothing more than his old pea-shooter he had when he was a young boy.

Ben chuckled sadly as the brutes robotically sawed and chopped at his brother's corpse. "I see," he muttered. "It's just a dream." He looked over at where Will and Jason had been standing, and his brothers were nowhere in sight.

* * *

"ELLIOT!"

Ben was pulled violently from his sleep at the sound of the Princess' cries, and he found himself back at Fort Mourningwood on his dirty bedroll. He jumped to his feet and saw that Walter was already with the Princess, kneeling beside her cot, gently trying to wake her as she tossed around wildly in her slumber. Some of the soldiers began to stir as well, and Ben gestured with his hand for them to go back to sleep.

Aldous licked Mara's face anxiously when she calmed down, and Walter eased her onto her side so that she might sleep more peacefully. Ben stepped toward him and patted his huge arm, motioning for the him to follow with a nod of his head. Walter followed him to a pile of barrels nearby, and Ben found a somewhat clean tankard to fill with ale for the old knight. He handed it to Walter and poured some for himself.

"Thank you, boy," Walter sighed, sitting in a chair and resting his colossal boots on the table next to him. "Hard to get back to sleep when the cries of a woman awaken you, eh?"

Ben chuckled. Sir Walter had, no doubt, had his fair share of women in his younger days, probably still even now. He was a handsome old bastard, Ben had to admit.

He sighed. "There's truth in that, Wally. But I'm glad to be awake."

"Oh?" The old man eyed him. "Dreaming of your family again?"

Ben smiled despite himself. "Swift tells you everything, doesn't he?"

"Oh yes, my boy. He is my oldest friend, after all. He worries about you, you know."

Ben knew Walter meant well. After having lost his entire family, Ben took to Swift much like the father he didn't have anymore. It was thanks to Swift that Ben had joined the army and found some semblance of purpose in life, after years of wandering the world a ruffian. The not-so-tragic and rather comedic death of Jason, the disappearance of Will, the violent end to Quentin and the resulting grief-ridden passing of his parents would have been enough to send any man into utter despair, but thanks to Major Swift, Ben was able to carry on the Finn name with a sort of dignity that was lost with his delinquent brothers. He really did nothing to help the fact though that his brothers had famously made the name synonymous with "wife-bedder."

His eyes wandered back to the sleeping Princess, and he nodded toward her before taking a swig of ale. "Is she alright?"

Walter cleared his throat and stretched. "Just a nightmare. Poor girl gets them regularly. Though I suppose that's what you get when you have a tyrant king for a brother."

"Hmm," Ben watched as Aldous jumped up onto the Princess' cot, and curled up into a ball at her feet. "Who's Elliot?"

A deep sigh came from across the table, and Ben looked over to see Walter eyeing his ale with a thoughtful, sad gaze. He took a sip and looked over his shoulder toward the Princess. "He was Mara's fiancee."

"…Was?"

"Mhmm. They had been engaged since birth, and she loved him very, very much. He was executed by Logan about four months ago." Walter spat onto the dirt beside him. "He forced Mara to choose between Elliot and some innocent commoners."

Ben lost the feeling in his hands, and the ale he had just swallowed came back as a sour brine in his throat. He remembered hearing about a noble who had been executed in place of a few commoners; he had been ordered to patrol the streets of Bowerstone after the incident prompted widespread protest. He never would have imagined that noble was her fiancee; her earlier words about Logan's unforgivable actions suddenly made more sense to him. And the thought of a man that the princess was in love with…Ben felt a strange pang of jealousy he couldn't explain. He dismissed it as a side effect of whatever infatuation he had found himself victim to due to her incredible attractiveness, nothing more.

"Poor girl," Ben managed, and downed the rest of his ale.

Walter eyed the Captain, and also finished his ale before he stood and stretched, looking out toward the spot where the sun was struggling to rise over the unsightly bog. "You're a good man, Ben."

Ben watched in confusion as Walter walked away, and the soldiers began to rise sleepily from their bedrolls.

* * *

Mara cursed loudly when she stepped in the knee deep mud. Aldous hopped around her as she tried to pry herself from the earth's grasp without success.

"_BLAST THIS BLOODY BOG!_" She screamed with all her might, sending some otherwise peaceful crows into startled flight above them. Ben laughed uncontrollably and extended a hand to help her up.

"That was beautiful alliteration, Princess," Ben said between fits of laughter, wiping tears from his eyes. "And I'm afraid you'll need new pants."

Mara glared at him as he pulled her from the mud. After she righted herself, she trudged past him, exhausted with his company. Walter promised to meet them at the Bowerstone Industrial district that night, and Major Swift volunteered Ben as Mara's escort.

"Damn that Walter, sending me ahead of him. It would have been simpler if I stayed with him at the Fort."

Ben chuckled. "Well, dear Princess, he probably didn't want you to be surrounded by horny soldiers any more than you had to."

Mara snorted. "And he sends me with the horniest soldier of them all as my escort."

"Ouch, Princess, you wound my pride!"

"Please," she said dryly, looking back at him. "I've heard the stories about you, Captain Finn. Your men were entirely too eager to enlighten me to your history. Sergeant Grove, especially."

He let out another chuckle. "Ah, Grove. He does love my stories. He keeps trying to convince me to write a book."

"Oh?" Mara took a stick that Aldous presented to her, and threw it ahead for him to chase. "And do you plan on doing so?"

Ben shrugged. "I don't know, Princess. Do you think people would read it?"

"I would," she replied much more honestly than Ben had expected. "If you have been on as many adventures as the men say you have, minus the parts about your conquest of farmer's wives." Ben blushed in embarrassment. "Besides, It's much more exciting than anything I would have read back at the castle."

"Really?" His shame disappeared and he found himself beaming with pride. "Depending on what stories you've heard already, you may not believe me when I promise that they are all very true."

The princess snorted, and Ben suddenly wondered with a bit of fear which stories about him she had been exposed to. "I look forward to hearing more of them, Captain."

"Princess, how many times must I ask you to call me Ben? 'Captain Finn' is just so formal."

"I think it would be best if we didn't become too familiar."

Ben jogged in front of her and put up an arm to stop her in her tracks. "Ah! I see, you're afraid of getting close to me?" He teased with a smile. "Are you afraid you might fall for my charms, Princess?"

She ducked under his arm and continued forward. "Don't flatter yourself, Captain. It's only common sense. I'd rather not have to witness any more death, especially of those I care about."

He felt a twinge of pain when she said that. That Elliot's death had really done a number on her. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his red uniform vest and sighed. "You're wanting to start a revolution, Princess. People are going to die, and you know that. But you can't help yourself from caring about people. It's human nature."

Mara was silent for the rest of the walk to the village outside the Industrial sewers. They crossed a bridge of wooden planks to a huge opening in the brick wall encompassing the city, emanating a thick, putrid odor from underneath Industrial. Ben coughed obnoxiously before gesturing ahead. "Well, Princess, there it is! The bowels of Bowerstone. Beyond these sewers is the embodiment of industrial prowess. Shall we?"

They reluctantly traversed the sewers until they reached Bowerstone Industrial. As they emerged from the sewers, Mara's breath caught in her throat. She had only ever seen Industrial from the castle gardens, high above the city; she never would have believed the reality of the place to be so dismal. She had had utterly no idea a place like this existed in Bowerstone, and the full scale of her ignorance hit her just as hard as the stench of the streets and the loud hum of machinery. The sunlight fought fruitlessly against the thick smog, and it almost seemed like they had stepped into night. It was overwhelmingly busy here; factory workers scrambled around the district, beggars lined the soggy streets, birds pecked at the decaying bodies of a few unfortunate souls who died right in the center of the cobblestone walkways.

"Poor sod," Ben said as they passed one such body, "Probably died of starvation, or overwork. This is it, Princess. The real reason behind the revolution. These unlucky thousands who just want to feed their families. Ah!" He was distracted by a pub on the other side of the canal they had come to. "The Riveter's Rest. An old classic. Shall we break for a bit? Walter will be a while."

Mara followed Ben over the bridge and into the pub. She sat in a chair across from the captain and watched Aldous outside the front door as he lay down for a nap; Ben motioned for the bar keep. "Louis, two if you don't mind!"

"Aye, lad, two it is," the old man bellowed, and he brought them two tankards of ale. Mara watched with wide eyes as the huge stein was set in front of her, and the aroma of alcohol seeped into her nostrils. Ben stared at her as she contemplated it. "You don't drink, Princess?"  
Mara shrugged. "I drank wine with dinner every night, but never ale." Ben took a large sip and watched excitedly as Mara lifted the tankard to her lips. He roared with laughter when she jumped back at the bitter taste, making a face he was sure she didn't want him to see.

"Ugh! You drink this willingly?"

Ben happily took another swig. "Indeed, Princess. It grows on you. The more you drink it, the better it tastes."

Mara looked distrustingly at him, but took another sip anyway. She found herself joining in his laughter at the way the taste contorted her face.

* * *

"You're kidding!" Mara threw her head back with laughter. "And the pirates just let you on the ship?"

Ben nodded, downing a large gulp of ale. "They did indeed. I don't know if it was on a drunken whim, or part of a drunken bet, but drunkenness definitely had something to do with it. I wandered onto the frigate and they decided to keep me as part of the crew."

Mara leaned her elbow on the table and rested her head delicately on her fingers. "Are you going to put that in your book?"

Ben tried not to be distracted by how unbelievably tempting her loose fitting tunic was as she sat in that position. "Do you think I should? That was one of the best times of my life, I'll admit. Though it didn't prove to be the most reliable source of income, so I was forced to abandon it."

The Princess smiled. Ben leaned back in his chair and watched her intently for a moment before speaking. "Now that I've told you some more of my adventures, how about you tell me something about yourself?"

"Oh?" Mara took another small sip of ale. "What would you like to know?"

He shrugged. "Well, a lot of things, Princess. It's not every day you get to press a noble for personal information." A certain deviant thought flashed across his mind and he shook his head to rid himself of the idea. He had to remember that this lady was a princess, not a common bar girl who's skirt he was trying to get under. His red face did not go unnoticed, however, and Mara leaned over the table to study him with feigned suspicion. "You seem to have thought of something, Captain. What is it?"

Ben was genuinely curious, but he was sincerely enjoying this woman's company and had no desire to make her despise him again. "It's nothing, Princess," he said with a smile. "Just a…thought. Hardly appropriate for present company."

"'Hardly appropriate' you say?" She laughed musically. "Well now you've peaked my curiosity, Captain! Now you have to tell me!"

"I refuse. I've already made a good impression on you, I cannot risk it."

"Oh, is that all it is?" Mara waved her hand, as if waving the thought aside. "I promise not to hate you, if that's what you're afraid of! Besides, I'm rather enjoyingyour company, Captain. I don't hate easily."

The Princess was incredibly affable once her guard was down, as Ben was coming to realize. He smiled mischievously, and looked around before leaning forward to keep his voice strictly between them. "Are you a virgin?"

To Ben's glorious surprise, Mara threw her head back and let out a roaring fit of laughter, nearly falling backwards out of her chair. The pub was crowded and loud, but her laughter seemed louder than all the voices in the building. Ben tried to stifle his own surprised laughter as she leaned forward on her elbows to steady herself, and wiped tears from her eyes. "Is that all?" She gasped, "I thought you were going to ask something worse!"

"Something worse?" he chuckled in amazement, "What's worse than asking a princess if she's a virgin?"

Mara's smile did not fade with her laughter. "I suppose you're right. I guess I was expecting you to ask me if I was a man, or if I was half balverine or something. Something utterly ridiculous."

Ben chuckled. "Answer my question, then, if it isn't so ridiculous."

Her smile widened and she leaned forward, though she looked away from him. "If you must know, Captain Finn, no, I am not."

Ben's jaw dropped and he let out an oddly victorious guffaw. "Are you serious?"

The Princess blushed deeply and smiled shyly. "Why do I seem to trust you?"

"Honestly, I do not know."

Mara turned and looked out the window next to them at the busy streets of Bowerstone Industrial, and her smile suddenly faded as a sad thought visibly flashed across her face. A long moment passed and Ben looked down to study his disappearing ale before her voice reached him again, quiet and thoughtful. "It was only once, with… I'm sure Walter's informed you about my fiance."

Ben looked back up at her and cleared his throat. "Right, um, Elliot, was it?"

The sadness in the Princess' eyes pierced his chest as she turned back to look at him. "He…he was my best friend ever since we were children. I loved him…so much."

The young captain was unable to find words of comfort. He had comforted many a crying woman before, but his intentions then had been very different. This was possibly the first time he genuinely wanted to comfort someone without any questionable motives, and he had no idea how.

"What hurts the most," she continued slowly, as if she was just finding the idea as soon as the words were coming to her lips, "is that I cannot bring myself to hate him."

"…Him? Do you mean Logan?"

She clenched her hands into fists and brought them to her forehead, as if she was furious with herself for what she was saying. "No, I do hate him. I hate him for murdering Elliot… but, at the same time, I love him. He's my brother, I cannot help but love him. The world has not seen him the way I have…and the things people are saying about him—though I know they are all true—they just hurt me. But then I think of Elliot, and I can't—" She choked on her words, and could not find more.

Without thinking, Ben's hand reached out rebelliously to wipe a tear that was rolling down her cheek. She seemed to be frozen in her thoughts, her enormous, glinting eyes seemed to be begging his for some sort of help that he was unsure of. Her brown hair tumbled over her shoulders, framing a beautifully round face usually pale as snow, but now red with fury and sadness. In this moment, she was so captivating, and he had half a mind to kiss her right then and there. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he tore his hand away before he did anything he might regret. She was a princess, after all. He did his best to regain his normal, indifferent composure, and leaned back in his chair.

He felt bizarrely as if he was naked as he felt her eyes boring into him. "I was wrong about you, Captain."

"Oh?" Ben put his hands behind his head. "How so, Princess?"

She had regained her composure, and her voice had transformed back into her dignified, diplomatic tone. "Well, from the stories I've heard from your men, and from Walter, I had you pegged as a common scoundrel. But now I see why they respect you so much."

Ben furrowed his brow. "Is that what Wally thinks of me?"

She chuckled. "He respects you as a soldier, and as a superb marksman, but he wasn't shy about explaining your prowess with women."

"I'm honored." Ben leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "Grove is adamant about there being a chapter in my book about that. But, anyway, I'm glad I've made a favorable impression on you, Princess."

She smiled again and rose to her feet. "Walter should be looking for me now." Ben stood to see her out.

"Drinks are on me, Princess."

Mara whistled for Aldous, who jumped happily to his feet and trotted to his mistress. Ben leaned against the doorway as the pair took a few steps onto the cobblestone road before Mara turned around again, and looked at him with a soft expression. "Thank you, Ben."

Unable to muster any words, he watched in giddy awe as she turned away and disappeared into the crowd, hoping to whatever gods would listen to a lousy good-for-nothing like him that he might see her again.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Bowerstone Resistance

**I wonder where Reaver could be? You didn't think I'd leave him out, did you? :D**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**The Bowerstone Resistance**

* * *

It was a gorgeous spring afternoon. Birds sang gleefully among the trees as squirrels chased each other teasingly through the green grasses below. On the hill in the distance, a mighty castle gleamed in the sunlight against a cloudless sky. The city beneath it hummed with life and the people who lived there went about their daily labors, hardly taking notice of the castle above them, its windows shimmering magnificent colors in the daylight.

Above the city, beyond the elegant gardens, up the grand marble staircase and past the massive mahogany doors, was the throne room. The guards outside the chamber allowed themselves to yawn quietly as they waited for their replacements to finish their late lunch down in the kitchen. Maids and servants hurried back and forth along the expansive foyer, busy with their work. Not a notice was given to the closed doors that muffled any business happening on the other side.

It was an absolutely superb afternoon.

It was within the instant that the doors were suddenly swung open that the castle erupted into chaos. Four guards dragged a struggling young man out of the throne room, with a heap of bodies following behind them in a rage and guards trying desperately to subdue them. A surprised maid, who was nearly trampled by the stampede, watched in awe as the people were ushered forcefully out of the castle, and the young prisoner was undoubtedly taken to the dungeon. She caught her breath as the disarray slowly calmed into dull confusion, and took a peek into the throne room.

The tall windows that lined the walls on the opposite side of the room let the bright afternoon sun flow gracefully onto the beautiful tapestries hanging around the perimeter. In the center of the light, sitting calmly at the glinting gold throne, towering above everything with a hard, uncaring expression, and still as a stone, was the King. His cold ebony eyes were encompassed by dark circles, as if he had not slept in years, and his skin was as pale as the marble floors beneath him. Sharp cheekbones jutted out on either side of his angular nose, and there were hints that this frightening sculpture used to house a warm, attractive young man, but that man was long gone.

A nudge from the boot of one of the King's guards sent the maid scrambling back to her feet, and she gathered herself before scooting away as the guards swung the great doors shut behind her.

* * *

Logan watched, unmoving, as his guards dragged the revolutionary out of his throne room, and the doors swung shut behind them. As soon as he was alone, he slouched down in the throne and let out a heaving sigh, lifting his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose.

His butler Hobson stepped into the room from a side door and cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, Lord Reaver is here to see you."

Logan squeezed his eyes shut and breathed sharply through his nostrils. "Give me a moment, Hobson. Tell him to wait in the study."

"Yes, your Highness." The extremely round little man bowed and hobbled out the door.

Logan opened his eyes to stare at the closed doors through which the prisoner had been taken. No doubt there would be another public outcry over this. It seemed to be a monthly ritual for him to have to execute another traitor and have protests in retaliation over the death. Logan secretly mourned the death of every one of them. He did not want to kill any of his subjects. In fact, it was to save the lives of Albion's people that he had to sacrifice a few. No one could ever understand, unless they had seen what he had seen. There was simply no other way. Though he hated doing it, he had to be a tyrant in order to save the future of his beloved kingdom.

His Albion. His beloved Albion. If it came down to it, he would destroy it himself before seeing it fall to darkness.

He stood, running a hand through his long brown hair. He thought that he really ought to get a haircut, but having someone near him with shears posed a threat to his own life, for everyone in the kingdom who wasn't a noble wanted to slit his throat. He straightened himself and left to meet one such noble, a cutthroat himself. The hated businessman Reaver, and Logan's only ally.

* * *

Mara stared at a poster that had been hung on the brick wall that lined the street she was traversing. It was yellow, stained from the fumes that radiated the street. It presented, in large letters, "Reaver IS Industry" and the center image was that of a cold faced man rising from the outline of the city, staring down any workers who dared to break long enough to look at the poster. Shadows from dusk that was hidden behind the buildings made the man's face look more imposing.

Walter snorted behind her. "Reaver. A waste of air. And he's probably got all the breathable air bottled up somewhere just for himself."

Mara turned to walk away. "An unpleasant man. I've met him a few times. Though I never knew just how far his influence spread." She watched sadly as a small, dirty child dragged a sack larger than his own body into a factory, forced to work alongside every other child born in Bowerstone Industrial.

Walter took the lead and showed Mara down some stairs, to the surface of one of the canals that snaked through Industrial. They came to a metal door, and Walter huffed as he turned the bars on the door to open it. Aldous seemed to thoroughly enjoy the horrid mixture of smells that burst from within when Walter heaved the door open.

"More sewers?" Mara sighed, and she reluctantly followed Walter inside.

"You'll find that these sewers house important allies, Princess. Deep in these smelly industrial caverns is the heart of the Bowerstone Resistance. Now pay attention to where we're going, it's easy to get lost in this maze."

Mara followed Walter through the second sewer system she had waded through in one day, dimly lit by the open gutters above them, and she could see people on the streets over them busy with their evening work. The sewer water sloshed beneath them, and she tried desperately to distract herself from the rancid stench of whatever filth she was walking in.

Walter's voice boomed through the tunnels, reverberating against the walls and sending mice and rats fleeing every direction. He was talking about hobbes, or cobblers, Mara wasn't sure. Her mind was wandering rebelliously back to her afternoon with Ben. She was eager to see him again, so that he could tell her more of his stories. This man had lived the life she used to dream about as a child; she and Elliot would often pretend they were pirates and bandits partaking on swashbuckling adventures, and she would never have imagined that there was someone who actually lived such an exciting life. She felt a little guilty about her initial disliking of Ben; she had found that he was a rather agreeable scoundrel whose company she had come to enjoy.

Aldous zigzagged all around the tunnel, following a plethora of scents with a twitching nose, and Mara watched him as she continued to explore her memories of the afternoon while Walter continued to ramble. She couldn't deny the fact that Ben was indeed an incredibly handsome devil, and she could recall clearly the way his blonde hair fell over his blue eyes when he looked at her. He smiled a lot. His smile was very wide, triangular, and simply joyful; and his characteristic mischievous grin was also enough to make a girl swoon. It was no wonder he was famous for his mastery of the woman species.

Mastery indeed. She blushed when she remembered the private information he had easily extracted from her. She had no time to ponder that particular thought, however, as Walter came to a stop in front of her, and Aldous barked excitedly at a dark figure ahead of them.

"Halt!" the figure shouted, and Mara could see the barrel of a gun glinting in the minimal light. She reached for her own rifle but Walter quickly waved to stop her. "Who goes there?"

"It is Sir Walter Beck," Walter called, "I've come to speak with Page."

"How do I know you're not a spy?" The figure stepped forward, and Mara could see a large man in worker's clothes, with a thick scar across his face.

"No one sees Page. You'd better turn around, or I'll shoot—"

"Stop, Kidd. Put down you're weapon." A woman's voice echoed from behind the man, and he immediately obeyed. Out of the darkness, a dark skinned woman with sharp green eyes walked towards Walter with a hand outstretched. She wore men's clothing, but Mara could see that she was strikingly beautiful. Her thick hair was pulled back into loose locks, and she strode with a confidence and courage that almost intimidated Mara. "Nice to see you again, Sir Walter. I apologize for my associate's behavior. We have to be extremely careful these days." Walter shook her hand, and she turned to look at Mara. "Hello, Princess. I am Page. You may have seen my wanted posters around town, commissioned by your dear brother."

Mara immediately got the impression that the woman called Page did not like her. "How do you know I'm the Princess?"

"I recognize you. The Resistance knows who all the most influential nobles are." She seemed to spit the words. "The King sent word to the people that his sister had died. I knew that wasn't the case when Walter went missing as well."

Walter stepped forward. "Mara is trying to start a revolution, Page. We came here to offer ourselves to you as allies."

Page did not take her eyes off of Mara. "What reason do I have to trust a noble? Revolution or not, she's not one of us."

"I am not like my brother," Mara protested. "I want to see him off the throne because he is a tyrant and a murderer, not because I have ambitions of my own."

"But he is still your brother," Page growled. "How do I know that you do not still have some loyalty to him? I cannot trust a noble! One of my own men was executed today at the hands of the King, and the nobles did nothing to stop him!"

Mara could feel the anger inside of her start to boil. Logan was a tyrant and a murderer, Mara knew this better than anyone. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel insulted that this stranger was speaking of her brother this way. She forced herself to abandon that bizarre realization, though, and took a deep breath before looking Page sternly in the eye. "Tell me what I can do to earn your trust."

Page looked at Walter suspiciously. He nodded encouragingly at her. "We've worked hard to earn the support of Sabine in Mistpeak, and the people of Brightwall village. Mara even went out and earned the support of Captain Saker at the bandit camp in the valley, and we've just returned from Fort Mourningwood where Major Swift has pledged his service to our cause."

"Sabine, Saker, and Swift?" Page looked the Princess over, and sighed. "I trust your word, Walter. If this Princess can prove to me that she is indeed the revolutionary she claims to be, then you will have my support as well."

Mara gritted her teeth and reluctantly followed Walter and Page into the Resistance headquarters, already exhausted with this woman's disliking for her.

* * *

The Bowerstone Resistance Headquarters was a system of tunnels in the sewers underneath Bowerstone Industrial, fashioned into bedrooms, a dining hall, and a room full of dummies and weapons that Mara assumed was a training room. She and Walter followed Page through the tunnels, which were full of men and women of the revolution, to a door surrounded by large barrels. The man called Kidd opened the door for Page, and they entered what seemed to be her private quarters, with a large map of Albion on a table in the center.

"There are beds in the sleeping quarters you are free to use," Page said as she leaned over the map. "I'll give the guards your names and you should be free to enter and exit as you wish. Now, as you may have noticed up above, our biggest opponent is not the King, but Reaver. If we destroy Reaver's influence, a revolution should be as simple as walking right into the castle."

Mara looked at the map Page was studying. "What have you done so far?"

Page sighed. "Well, Princess, there's not much we can do, as your brother has made unionization a crime." She seemed to be accusing Mara personally for the act. "So we've had to be more passive than we'd like. Reaver's support comes from the nobles, so that's generally where we strike. We've learned that he is actually planning a large party in the next month, and everyone in his inner circle will be attending. It will take place at Reaver's estate on Bowerstone Lake, here." Page pointed at the spot on the map, just outside the city. "Kidd is planning an infiltration when that time comes, to gather information."

Walter kneeled down to pet Aldous on the head. "There are some strange rumors about Reaver's so called 'inner circle.' You'll want to be careful, mate."

Kidd straightened himself. "I've got the best men on the job, Sir Walter. It'll be an easy in and out."

All at once, everyone in the room froze, and all the color surrounding Mara faded into grey. A warm breeze flowed past her, and the soft, gentle sound of an old woman's voice echoed throughout the chamber.

"You've come a long way, Hero."

Mara turned around to see the tall frame of a woman in a brilliant red robe. She stood on the empty air, her hands folded in front of her. The sheer power this woman emanated still frightened Mara almost as much as the first time they had met, though the warmth in her eyes was calming. This was the woman to whom King Sparrow had entrusted his life, and Mara smiled a the woman.

"Theresa."

The woman, her blind eyes covered by a red hood, smiled warmly. "You've earned the support of many important allies, and you have proven yourself to be a great friend to the people of Albion. Some back in Mistpeak even refer to you as the Hero of Brightwall."

Mara felt a rush of unease when the blind seeress dropped her smile, and reached out in the direction of where Page was frozen in reality. "But the true challenge is ahead of you, as you will now fight for the support of your most important ally. Page is strong, and gaining her friendship is what will lead your revolution to fruition. But she is wary, and will not give her friendship easily. She does not trust nobility, and with good reason. You've seen how the ignorance of the nobility has led to the despondancy of the lower class."

"How can I obtain her friendship?" Mara asked, strangely overwhelmed by Theresa's words. "How can I get her to trust me?"

Theresa turned her head to Mara, and reached her hand out once again, this time in the direction of Mara's chest. "You've closed yourself off." An image of Elliot flashed across Mara's mind, and she had a suspicion that Theresa put it there. "Open your heart, and you will find more than friendship. But have a care, for doing so might also lead to despair. The choice is yours whether or not to take the risk."

Mara watched in confusion as Theresa lifted both arms above her head and a bright light enveloped her. "Until we meet again, Hero." The blinding light nearly knocked Mara off her feet as the seeress disappeared, and color returned to the world around her. The others went on about their business, as if no time had passed at all.

* * *

A massive crowd had gathered at the shipping warehouse on the docks, and Page and Mara had a bit of trouble squeezing through. It had been three weeks since Mara first arrived at the Bowerstone Resistance, and Page seemed to trust her enough to go out with her without Walter's supervision. They pushed through the great host as far forward as they could, and they saw a young man standing on a pile of crates waving his fists wildly.

"Reaver is exploiting us!" The man shouted. "We deserve fair pay! We are workers, not slaves!"

The crowd roared with applause with each sentence the man made. "Now is the time to act! We demand to be payed wages we can live off of! We demand reasonable hours! We demand safer working conditions for us and our children! It is time for us to stand up to Reaver!"

A loud shot rang through the air, and the man toppled over, holding his shoulder and crying out in pain. On a balcony above him, standing tall and proper with a smoking pistol in his hand, was Reaver. The crowd hushed into a murmur and started backward.

"But lying down is so much easier than standing up," Reaver said in a happy tone. "Ladies and gentlemen, I have decided that, in order to raise morale, I am offering prizes to the most deserving workers! The rules for what I like to call 'The Reaver Team Spirit Awards' are as follows: firstly, any worker who so much as murmurs another complaint will be shot." Reaver fired another bullet into the man's chest, and he gasped in pain. "Secondly, any worker who takes more than a three second break will be shot." Another shot. The crowd was silent, no one dared to go to the man's rescue as he bled on the cobblestones in front of them. "And lastly," Reaver continued cheerfully, "any worker who breaks any other rules will," he laughed, "as you guessed it, be shot." A final shot was sent straight into the man's head, and he fell limply to the ground, dead. The crowd huddled back in horror, and Reaver let out an amused chuckle. "You may return to work now, if you like. As you know, I am a generous man, and likely to give out prizes right away, so go on! Chop, chop!"

The crowd hastily broke and everyone fearfully hurried back to work. Page sighed sadly. "Poor man."

Mara looked up at Reaver, and to her surprise, he was looking right back at her. She held his gaze with angry eyes, knowing full well that he recognized her as the Princess. The man, the recipient of the gift of eternal youth as explained to her by Logan, smiled at her with centuries worth of cunning behind his eyes. Mara saw him wink deliberately at her before disappearing into the warehouse with a swirl of his coat tails.

"We have to work fast," Page muttered. "If Reaver kills many more workers, there will be riots all over the district, and that will only hinder us."

A desperate curiosity pulled Mara toward the factory, and she waved at Page to return to Headquarters without her. "Go, I want to check something. I'll meet you back in a little while."

Page shrugged and disappeared in an alley. Mara stood for a moment, studying the corpse of the worker. People hurried by, busy with work, not daring to move the man for fear that they may be shot.

Mara turned on her heel and walked around the warehouse, unsure of what she was looking for, but feeling pulled in that direction nonetheless. Her instincts led her to a quiet alleyway between the tall buildings, with iron scaffolding hanging high above the ground. She could feel a presence behind her, and she knew instantly who it was.

"My, my, Princess. It has been a while." Reaver waltzed from the shadows and smiled at her when she turned to face him. "I must say, I rejoice to see that you are alive, after all. We were all so worried when you up and disappeared after dear Elliot's demise."

"Don't speak of Elliot!" Mara spat, but caught herself before she lost her temper. This man didn't deserve the honor of having her be angry with him.

"Oh, still a touchy subject, Princess?" Reaver shrugged. "My apologies. He was your beloved fiance after all, was he not?"

Mara did not answer. She stared angrily into Reaver's dark eyes and clenched her fists when she found amusement in them. "Why did you kill that man?"

Reaver laughed. "Oh, that worker just now? Just a hitch. No worries, Princess, work is back on schedule despite his interruption. Don't you think I handled it rather cleverly? 'Reaver Team Spirit Award,' I do love it!"

"You're a monster."

He furrowed his brow. "Come now, Princess, there's no need for name calling! I am simply a businessman protecting my interests. That unfortunate man posed a threat to commerce." Reaver paused, and smiled wickedly as he leaned in closer to Mara. "It's much like running a country, Princess. Logan saw that your dear Elliot was posing a threat to his authority, and so he dealt with him accordingly."

Mara let out a growl and leapt at him. She was not prepared for how agile the man was, and she was easily evaded. Blinded with anger to any reason that would normally keep her from being so rash, she yanked her sword from her sheath and charged Reaver. Without so much as a flinch, the man deflected her sword with a flick of his cane, and in a flash he had both of her wrists behind her back with one hand and pushed her against the brick wall. He smiled with delight as she tried to free herself, but he was incredibly strong; his cunning was that of the Hero of Skill, and his strength was that of the Pirate King.

Reaver leaned down and put his face close to hers, whispering in her ear. "Careful, Princess. You don't want to do anything reckless, now would you? You have a revolution to plan, after all." With his free hand, he traced the will lines on Mara's face as they glowed with fury. "And a reckless Hero is a dangerous thing." He very slowly traced the lines down her neck and between her breasts, chuckling again with delight as she squirmed again at his touch. He pressed himself closer to her, and she held her breath as he teasingly breathed into her ear.

"You're lucky I have plans to attend to," he said, and she clenched her teeth in anger when she felt him nibble her ear lobe. "'Til we meet again, Princess."

She broke away as soon as she felt his grip loosen, and darted straight for her sword. She swung it angrily around, but when she turned back, Reaver was nowhere in sight.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dances With Balverines

**One of these days I may try my hand at a Reaver fic. The thought of humanizing him is an intriguing one. But now is not the time! For the purposes of this story, he must be the unfavorable deviant we know and love.**

* * *

**Chapter 4  
**

**Dances With Balverines**

* * *

Mara marched furiously through Industrial and threw herself through the door to the sewers. Her encounter with Reaver moments earlier fueled her anger and sent her stomping through the muck all the way to the resistance headquarters, and she didn't even notice when Aldous came bounding happily to greet her. She was so angry her head was throbbing with her heartbeat, and she rubbed the ear he had taken the liberty of nibbling until it too throbbed with her head. How dare he speak to her of Elliot. The nerve of that evil, evil man. She knew she couldn't kill him, but she wanted so badly to.

Her anger disappeared in a flash as soon as she opened the door to the map room and she heard a familiar voice in an argument with Page.

"I swear! Three hollow men in one shot! Why don't you believe me? Ah, here she is. Ask her, she'll tell you."

"Ben!" Mara shouted happily, and she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck. He laughed and returned the hug, lifting her slightly off the floor as Aldous hopped excitedly around them. "Hello, my dear Princess!"

"Ben, what took you so long?" Mara asked him, holding onto his arms even after he had released her. "We've been waiting for you and Major Swift."

He couldn't help but smile at her delight in seeing him again. "Well, we've been rather busy, Princess. What with Fort Mourningwood being shut down and all."

"Logan shut down Fort Mourningwood?" Walter asked, suspiciously eyeing Mara's affectionate hold on Ben. "Why would he do that?"

"Who knows?" Ben shrugged. "First he wants to retake the fort, then he wants to abandon it. It honestly just feels like he's wasting time, and lives at that."

"Tch." Page shook her head. "Lives indeed. He'll carelessly sacrifice the lives of men willing to fight for him. He's a madman."

Ben turned and winked at Mara. "No offense," he said with a smile.

Mara smiled, but was interrupted by Page. "Anyway, back to the matters at hand. Princess, as soon as I returned, I received word from Kidd. Apparently there has been an influx of balverines in the area, and they need more ammunition. Here." Page tossed a package wrapped in brown paper to Mara as Ben looked on curiously. "I need you to take this to him as soon as possible. His orders are also inside."

Ben snorted and leaned over toward Mara. "Is this how she usually addresses royalty?" He muttered. Mara slapped his arm playfully, trying to stifle a chuckle. "Hush," she commanded.

Page, extremely unamused by their banter, raised an eyebrow. They straightened up and cleared their throats, feeling like children who had just been caught misbehaving. Page waited a moment to make sure they were listening before she continued, pointing to a spot on the map. "They are camped out here, in the old abandoned miners' quarters off the main road in Millfields. Just before the monorail station, which is no longer in use."

Ben examined the spot on the map. "Ah, I know the place. One of Reaver's old ventures, isn't it? Closed down when the mine tapped into a hobbe colony. I had the glorious task of clearing them out, nasty buggers."

"If you leave now, you should make it before dark." Walter added. "I'll wait for you at the city gate."

"Come, Princess," Ben said, taking Mara's arm and hooking it through his own. "I would be happy to escort you."

Mara smiled and whistled for Aldous as they strode out of the room as if they were leaving for a ball. Walter's voice followed them out the door.

"Ben! If you don't bring her back in one piece I'll snap your legs like twigs!"

"He can do it, too," Mara whispered. Ben shivered. "I know," he said, and turned to call back to Walter as the door began to swing close. "You can count on it, Wally! I won't let a hair fall from her head!"

When the door was closed, he started into a hurried walk, dragging Mara along with him. "Hurry, before he comes out. I think he might kill me before we make it to Millfields." Mara laughed and happily followed him with Aldous at her heels.

* * *

"And so, there I am, seventeen years old and naked as the day I was born, running through the streets of Bloodstone with bullets flying every which way. Lucky for me the weasel was a dreadful shot."

Mara nearly tripped over a tree root when she guffawed obnoxiously at Ben's story. "Serves you right! I hope it was winter!"

"Oh no, it wasn't winter. Though it had been raining and so it was cold. Slipped a few times and exposed myself to a few lucky townspeople." He laughed at the memory. "They all cheered for me as I ran. I felt like a celebrity!"

Mara's sides began to hurt from laughter, and it was difficult to walk. "You deserved it! Sleeping with the poor man's wife!"

"She didn't tell me she was married!" Ben argued defensively. "Besides, she was the one who seduced me, I swear!"

Mara wiped a tear from her eye and sniffed when the laughter finally subsided. "Not that it would have stopped you, anyway. Especially seventeen-year-old you. I can only imagine how you must have been when your hormones were raging."

Ben smiled with pride. "I am a Finn, after all. Our hormones have been known to rage rather fiercely. And as wild as you find my stories, they are nothing compared to my brother Jason's. He practically made a living as a wife layer."

"Jason? He was your eldest brother, wasn't he?"

Ben nodded. "By seven years. He's the one who taught me how to pick pockets. Met a rather fitting end; he was killed in a duel by an angry farmer who's wife he had ravished the night before."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ben." To Mara's surprise, Ben laughed heartily at the thought.

"Don't be, Princess! It was his own fault! He and the man both had pitchforks, he was perfectly capable of defending himself! Though the idiot had never worked an honest day in his life, and so he held the pitchfork the wrong way round!"

Mara whistled as Aldous ran off suddenly to chase a rabbit through a wide field on the side of the road. The rabbit frantically dove into its burrow and out of the dog's reach, and with hardly a care in the world, he turned back round and bounded happily to Ben and Mara on the road. They were about half an hour outside the city gates, and the sun was just grazing the tops of the trees that lined Millfields at the bottom of the hill they were descending. Birds tweeted merrily as they settled in their nests for the night, pillars of smoke rose from the chimneys of quaint farmhouses in the distance; Mara found the evening to be a much more pleasant one than she had expected.

"I am surprised, Princess." Ben stretched his arms over his head. "You have a rather unusual sense of humor for someone who grew up in a castle. I would never have expected that I would be telling such stories to a princess without fear of having my head lopped off."

Mara smiled, and thought back on her evenings with Elliot back at the castle. Once, when they were just brushing the years of puberty, Elliot had somehow gotten his hands on a book of dirty jokes that he and Mara flipped through in their secret hiding place behind a statue in the castle gardens. They were shocking and exciting for the curious virgin eyes of the preteens, and in hindsight, absolutely hilarious. Her butler, Jasper, a proper, dignified man of around sixty, would have been horrified to hear such indecency was exposed to them, but Walter and Logan would have probably found it just as hilarious as Mara was finding it now. She must have known at an early age that if you cannot laugh at life's simple improprieties, then there was hardly any point to the whole idea to begin with.

She couldn't fight the impending sadness that overcame her when she remembered Elliot. It was with him that she had learned how fascinating the male body was, and the one time they had been intimate, the first for both of them, was the sweetest memory she held. His long, slender body on hers, his soft brown hair entangled in her fingers, his thin but strong arms holding her tightly in a passionate embrace. The overwhelming love she had for him could never be matched, she was certain of it.

Surprisingly to her, however, her mind wandered rebelliously to a curiosity the man standing next to her presented. Elliot had been much taller than Mara, but she was almost equal in height with Ben. She had only been with Elliot, and against her better judgment she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like with the infamous womanizing Captain…

She stopped abruptly in her tracks and clapped her hands on her blushing face to force the thought out of her mind. _Absolutely not_, she scolded herself, _don't even think of it_.

"Princess?" She looked up to see Ben looking back at her, a concerned look on his face. "Everything alright?"

She never noticed what a beautiful shade of blue his eyes were.

"Yes," she stated plainly. "I'm fine."

"…Alright," he said slowly, eyeing her suspiciously. He turned around again when she stared blankly back. "Well, let's get a move on, then. We're almost there, anyway."

Mara followed him stiffly into the trees, unable to find anymore conversation to cover her embarrassment.

* * *

Logan swirled the glass of wine in his hand for a good minute before taking a sip. The usually sweet flavor of his favorite red vintage tasted unpleasantly bitter in the present company of his dinner guest. He set the glass down and looked disgustingly at the plate of food in front of him, his appetite thoroughly depleted due to the disagreeable visitor he was entertaining.

"Oh, come now, Majesty," Reaver sang, patting his lips delicately with his napkin. "Don't look so morose. You're King of Albion, aren't you? Show me some of that ruthless authority I do so admire."

Logan slouched in his seat and rubbed his beard. He desperately wanted a shave, but could never find the time. He was always so exhausted he couldn't hold a razor without injuring himself, and he certainly didn't trust anyone else to do the job for him. Reaver looked the weary king over with a delighted gleam in his eye. "You know, Your Highness, with those scruffy whiskers, you look just like your father. I would have thought it was him if I didn't know better."

The king stared angrily at Reaver across the table. This man, handsome as he was and seemingly around thirty, was in reality hundreds of years old. The Hero of Bowerstone, the beloved late King Sparrow told stories to Logan when he was young of the cunning pirate Reaver, the Hero of Skill. Logan couldn't imagine how his father could ever be acquainted with the merciless demon he knew Reaver to be. Anyone with ties to the mysterious Shadow Court deserved to be treated with severe caution, and rumors ran wild that the pirate-turned-tycoon had to regularly sacrifice innocent people to the Court in return for his eternal youth. This was the accepted theory behind the burning of Oakvale, the hamlet where Logan's ancestors and even Reaver himself hailed from. Logan even had an inkling that Reaver's eager support of his reign was because it readily provided him with thousands of workers from which he had an endless supply of sacrifices. The thought sickened the king, even though he knew that he was no better than Reaver.

"So, I heard another revolutionary was executed not too long ago," Reaver continued. "Bravo, Highness. You certainly know how to inspire fear and hatred in your subjects. I cannot help but admire that in you." He took a large sip of wine, and when he set the glass down, he smiled fiendishly. "Speaking of revolutionaries, Majesty, I had the pleasure of running into your sister today."

Logan sprang up at Reaver's words, instantly energized with anxiety. "Mara!? Where did you see her? Where is she? Is she well?"

Reaver took pleasure in Logan's sudden interest, and took another sip of wine. "Yes, quite well. Her will lines are coming in nicely." He recalled the feeling of her breasts and smirked. "Mmm. Very nicely."

The king hurried around the table to Reaver's side, almost pleadingly. "Where is she? Tell me, Reaver!"

"Now, now, Your Majesty," he answered, rising to his feet. "You mustn't worry. She seemed vigorously healthy. She's quite a fireball, I must say. Just like your mother." Logan gritted his teeth. He knew that, wherever Mara was, she was with Sir Walter, and therefore no harm would come near her. But he couldn't keep himself from worrying about he beloved little sister, despite how much he knew she hated him.

Reaver chuckled smugly and turned around to head for the door. "Quite a fireball, indeed," he continued. "Nearly took my hand off during our lovely scuffle in the alleyway. It was enough to get a man excited."

Logan lunged at Reaver who, without even looking back, stepped out of the way. The king, overflowing with rage, threw his fists wildly at Reaver, and the cool businessman easily evaded each attack with a swift move to the side and a strike with his cane. After a few minutes of this pointless fighting, Reaver whacked Logan on the chest with his cane and sent the king crumbling to the ground, his chest heaving as he searched for breath.

Logan looked up at Reaver with enraged eyes, and he hissed at him through clenched teeth.

"If you touch her," he growled, "I will kill you."

"I doubt it, Majesty," Reaver said coolly, "Don't forget just where your financial support lies." He bowed elaborately before stepping out the door. "Until we meet again, my King. Tatty-bye!"

Logan howled with fury as the door closed, his enraged cries echoing endlessly throughout the darkening castle.

* * *

The sun was nearly gone when Ben and Mara found Kidd and his men camped out in the ruins of an abandoned miner's bunkhouse. Mara's initial impression of Kidd was that of a stoic, harsh fighter, but as soon as he opened the package he took on the demeanor of a child opening a birthday present. He gleefully tossed the packs of ammunition to his men and, to Mara's surprise, swept her up into a tight hug.

"By Avo, Princess, you might have saved us!" He exclaimed. "These balverines are getting more and more aggressive every night!"

"Aggressive balverines?" Ben said dryly. "You don't say."

Mara giggled at Kidd's obvious dislike for Ben's sarcasm. Ben let out a surprised and rather feminine gasp when Kidd turned around to speak only to the Princess, blocking Ben with his back. "Normally a few balverines wouldn't be a problem," Kidd continued, "but I've never seen so many in one place. Especially not in Millfields."

"That's strange," Mara mused. "I wonder if they're locals?"

Ben leaned around Kidd to put himself back in the conversation. "You mean, the balverines are residents of Millfields?"

Kidd shrugged. "It's possible that the balverines are disguising themselves as citizens, but the only people who live in Millfields are nobles with land on Bowerstone Lake. Chances are more likely that these are packs of feral purebloods."

Mara agreed, but she didn't dismiss the possibility that the balverines were infected citizens. She'd heard stories of people who were bitten by balverines being turned into the monsters themselves, with the ability to turn back to humans at will. If this was the case, and if these balverines were in fact the nobles who inhabited Millfields, an even greater problem was at hand.

Kidd handed Mara a folded note. "Here, give this to Page if you please, Princess. We found out that Reaver's party is scheduled for tomorrow night. We plan to attend." He winked at Mara and she smiled up at him. "Be careful, Kidd. Reaver is smart."

"Thanks, Princess. And you, too," Kidd said, looking back at Ben. "It's after dark, and the balverines will be coming out soon. I'd go back soon if I were you."

Mara patted Kidd on the arm and motioned for Ben to follow as she stepped out the door. It was dark now, though the moon had not yet risen. They could see the lights of the city glinting between the trees, and they started back.

"I don't think Kidd likes me," Ben said suddenly, "in fact, I don't think Page does, either."

Mara chuckled. "I don't think they know how to appreciate your sense of humor."

It was dark, but Mara could see Ben's handsome grin creep across his face. "I'm glad you do, Princess."

They walked for a while with Aldous leading the way until they came to a break in the trees, and they could see Bowerstone sitting high upon the hill in front of them. Mara saw the little farmhouses from that afternoon, now cozily lit from the inside as the occupants prepared to settle down for the night. At the top of the hill were the city gates, and they could barely make out the figures of the guards strolling along the city's outer walls.

"Wow," Ben breathed. "It's almost a beautiful sight if you don't think about how awful it is on the inside."

Mara looked up at the shimmering lights of the castle that towered over the rest of the city from the very top of the hill. She could almost see where the windows to her old bedroom were, and if she looked to the right, she would be able to see where Logan's windows were as well. She imagined him, tall and stately, standing at the windows and looking out upon his city. Whether she felt anger or nostalgia at the thought of her brother, she was unsure.

A low growl rumbled from Aldous, and Mara turned to see the dog crouched alarmingly with his nose pointed toward the forest behind them. The growl morphed into a vicious snarl, and Mara put her hand on Ben's arm as she scanned the trees for whatever was upsetting her dog. From within the trees, blending seamlessly with the wind, Mara heard the chilling sound of a howl. It was not the howl of a wolf.

Mara and Ben grabbed their rifles and pointed them toward the trees. "There," Ben whispered, "to the left of the road."

Her eyes followed his direction, and there, high in the trees, was a pair of glowing yellow eyes. A few trees to its left was another pair, and below that, another.

"I count three," Mara whispered, and Ben nodded beside her. Mara prepared to shoot, and as she took a breath, the eyes disappeared. She heard Ben catch his breath, and they stood in tense silence as they tried to comprehend what they had just seen.

"Above!" Ben shouted suddenly, and Mara looked up to see the shadows of three balverines descending on them from the sky. She stepped around Ben and pressed her back to his as the monsters landed on every side of them. The two of them fired at the beasts, trying to keep up with their incredible speed as they leapt into the air and landed quickly before leaving the ground again. Mara tried desperately to keep their formation from dizzying her, which was undoubtedly the beasts' intention. Finally, after putting three bullets into one of the balverine's chests, Ben was able to land a shot between the creature's eyes, and it fell limply to the ground.

As soon as the balverine was dead, the other two howled, sending chills right through Mara's bones. Her heart pounded as the creatures landed on the ground and clawed at the dirt. She fired as they charged, letting out snarls that seemed to emanate from the very bowels of hell. One of the two fell back at her shot, and Ben took the opportunity to finish it off with a shot through the eye. Aldous, with a ferocious snarl, pounced on the fallen balverine and wrapped his jaw around the animal's jugular, ensuring its demise.

The last balverine leapt erratically from side to side, swiping its enormous claws at Mara who dodged each one with nothing but luck aiding her. Ben landed a shot in the balverine's back, and the monster turned around and roared in anger at him. The monster charged at Ben, leaping in the air and landing behind him before Ben could turn around. He screamed in pain when the balverine slashed his back with his claws, and Mara rushed to him when the beast leapt into the air again.

"Ben!" She cried as he fell to his knees, heaving as the pain enveloped him. Mara glanced at the wounds on his back. The claws dug deeply in his skin, leaving marks that looked as if he had been slashed by five swords.

"Behind you!" Ben wheezed, and Mara swung around to see the balverine land on the ground in front of her. She stepped in front of Ben and dropped her rifle.

The balverine was salivating as he crept toward Mara, and she took a deep breath.

* * *

Ben couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He looked up at Mara, who was standing still as a stone, facing the oncoming balverine. He could see the will lines on her skin begin to glow, and within a second they shone so brightly he thought he would go blind. Before he could comprehend the awe he was feeling, Mara's hands tensed violently, and were suddenly engulfed in flame. She brought her hands together and threw them forward, sending a ball of fire hurdling toward the charging balverine. The monster let out a horrifying cry when the flames caught its fur, and it rolled erratically around trying desperately to douse the blaze. Mara let another fireball fly at the creature, and it gurgled with pain as it began to lose the strength to move. The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and Ben watched in amazement as Mara unsheathed her sword, and with a flurry of blue light, brought it down through the beast's head with a deafening crunch, ending its suffering in a single blow.

Ben had forgotten how much pain he was in as he lifted himself to his feet, his eyes fixed on Mara. She turned around, and he lost his breath when he saw her face. The twirling lines that spiraled around her neck now swirled over her cheeks, under her eyes that glowed as blue as hot flame. It was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. He was looking upon the raw dominance of Will, upon the stunning power of a Hero. She was breathtakingly gorgeous in this state, and it was enough for Ben to find tears falling from his eyes.

"Ben?" Mara asked, her eyes and skin still ablaze. "Are you alright?"

Ben, unable to find his vocal chords, weakly shook his head. She ran towards him and grabbed him by the arms, the light fading as fear overcame her. "What's wrong? You didn't get bitten, did you?"

He shook his head again, unable to look away from her. "It's…just a scratch."

Mara growled in anxious frustration as she turned Ben around and began to drag him by the arm toward the city gates.


	5. Chapter 5 - Uninvited Guests

**Thanks for the follows and favorites! I'm actually already on chapter 12 in the writing process, but I am determined to read each chapter ten million times before I post it... not a lot of homework has been getting done. :/**

**Oh, and warning. There's one bad word in this chapter. If you find it, you win!**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Uninvited Guests**

* * *

"Sweet Avo, Ben!" Walter bellowed when he saw Ben leaning weakly on Mara as they entered through the gates with Aldous following closely behind. "What happened to you, boy?"

"Balverines," Mara explained, dragging Ben roughly toward an inn on the other side of the market place. "He's got a wound on his back that needs to be tended to immediately."

Walter examined the wound as best he could while they moved. "That he does. When I told you to bring the Princess back in one piece, Ben, I didn't mean to go off and get yourself sliced up."

"It's nothing," Ben complained, though his weary voice did nothing to assure them. "It's just a scratch."

"Walter," Mara said sternly, ignoring Ben's protest, "We cannot get him to Industrial quickly. I'm going to take him to the inn across the way. You go to Page and tell her what has happened." She handed him the letter Kidd wrote for Page. Walter took it and nodded. "Absolutely, Princess. I'll return as soon as I find her."

Silence fell upon the lively inn when Mara dragged a barely conscious Ben inside. All eyes were turned from tankards of ale to the pair, and Ben chuckled weakly. "Is this the Cock in the Crown? I haven't been here in months," he muttered.

Mara turned to the man behind the bar. "I need a room, please. It's sort of an emergency."

"Of—of course," The man said, and he cocked his head. "Is that Ben Finn?"

"NOW!" Mara shouted, and the man jumped in surprise. He hurried over to them, taking Ben's other arm to help Mara drag him up the stairs, afraid of what might happen if he didn't.

He led them to an empty room and helped Mara place Ben on the bed. "Keep him upright," Mara told the man as she rifled through her pockets. She produced a small bottle of health potion that Walter forced her to carry, and she uncorked the bottle and swirled it around until the consistency satisfied her. She looked back up at the man, setting down the bottle to again rifle through her pockets, and found a bag of coins to toss at him which he clumsily caught.

"Thank you for your help. I can take it from here."

The man clutched the bag and stumbled out the door, closing it nervously behind him.

Mara turned to Ben and clapped her hands on either side of his face. "Ben!" she shouted. He opened his eyes and looked wearily at her. "Yes?"

"I'm going to take off your shirt."

Ben raised his eyebrows and smiled, drunk off his loss of blood. "If you insist, Princess."

Mara pulled his shirt off of him, careful not to rub it over his wound. She turned him around and leaned him over. "This may hurt," she said, and she grabbed the bottle and poured the potion over the gashes on his back. He jerked back at the pain, and Mara grabbed his arms to pin him down as the wound began to bubble and foam. He shouted in agony as the lesions closed, and his screams echoed throughout the building. Mara was sure the people downstairs would think that she was murdering him, but finally to her relief his breath slowed as the sting subsided, and he relaxed onto the bed.

"For the love of…" Ben gasped, clenching the blankets in his fists. "That bloody hurt."

Mara let go of him and wiped the blood away from his back. There were fresh scars on his skin, but the lacerations were closed. She gently pulled him up and handed him the rest of the potion. "Drink this," she told him, and he obediently took the bottle from her and swallowed the mixture. As soon as he did, he jumped back at the taste and scowled. "Blech! Tastes like spoiled hobbe piss!"

Mara laughed and took the bottle from him to put it on the table next to the bed. He took a deep breath as his energy came flooding back to him. "Tasted like death, but that's good stuff," he said, and he stood, stretching his legs and arms as far as he could reach. "I feel as good as new. Thank you, Princess."

Mara didn't realize completely that Ben was half naked until he was standing before her. She began to lose feeling in her legs as she moved her gaze over his bare form. Without even a thought to stop herself, she reached out and touched his muscular chest with her fingers, tracing a scar she found underneath his collarbone. He stiffened at the touch, staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes as she continued to explore his body.

It was fascinating to her; he was much larger than Elliot had been. His lifetime of fighting mercenaries, hollow men, and angry love rivals had toned his body to a mass of pure muscle. She marveled at it as if it was a work of art. Elliot, though tall and strong, wasn't nearly as powerfully built as Ben was. His chest had been smooth like marble, not like the rough scar-ridden body she had before her now. His had been the body of a boy; this was the body of a man.

"Pr—princess?"

Mara looked up to see Ben's face, as red as a tomato, staring at her in astonishment. She jolted back in shock and tore her hand from him to cover her mouth.

"S—sorry. I just—"

Ben let out an exasperated breath that he must have been holding the whole time. "It's fine. No worries…"

She rubbed her hand uncomfortably, unsure how to proceed. To her surprise, he stepped toward her and gently put his fingers under her chin, lifting her head to look at him. She could see him hesitate before leaning into her, and she could not make herself stop him before he tentatively placed his lips on hers.

A rush of electricity shot through her body as she kissed him back, and she slid her arms around his neck. Something snapped inside of Ben; unable to control himself as she consented to him, he responded by pushing her violently against the wall and crushing her mouth and tongue with his own, allowing his hands to wander aggressively over her body. A groan escaped him as he kissed her again and again until he began to lose feeling in his lips. Mara struggled to breathe as excitement overtook her, and she tangled her fingers through his hair as he moved from her mouth to her neck, jawline, collarbone. His breath tickled her ear when he lifted his head and whispered desperately into it.

"Mara…"

An abrupt knock on the door tore them reluctantly apart, and Ben sat quickly on the bed to disguise his excitement, his blond hair a disheveled mess. Mara couldn't find the strength to move.

"Princess?" Walter's voice boomed from the other side of the door, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, Walter," Mara called, unsure if her voice was convincingly nonchalant, as her entire body was numb. "We're fine, thank you."

The door opened, and Walter stepped in, his large form suddenly terrifying to Ben.

"How's the invalid?" He asked, clapping Ben roughly on his injured back. Ben howled in pain.

"Walter!" Mara scolded, and Ben lifted his hand to stop her.

"It's alright, Princess. I probably deserve it," he hesitantly looked up to meet her eyes. "Thank you for helping me."

"Of—of course," she answered, tearing her eyes from him before she could give anything away to Walter. The old knight looked at Ben, then at Mara, and coughed loudly, which made both of them jump.

"Well, then, Princess, I'm to inform you that Page is looking to speak with you," Walter said, stepping back toward the door, and extending his hand in gesture for her to follow. "She's rather insistent, I'm afraid."

"Thank you, Walter." Mara straightened herself and began toward the door. "And Captain, be careful not to reopen your wounds."

"Thank you, Princess." Ben watched as the two left, closing the door behind them. He took a deep breath, and fell back limply on the bed, lifting his arms over his face.

"Fuck," he muttered.

* * *

Mara could not find any way to comprehend what had just happened. The feeling of Ben's rough lips lingered on hers the entire way back to the headquarters, and her thoughts were so dizzying she nearly tripped in the muck and narrowly missed being covered in sewage.

She knew exactly how it happened; the sequence of events were clear to her. Ben kissed her. But why? And why didn't she fight him off? Why did she go along so eagerly, and why did it excite her so much?

_Oh, Elliot,_ she prayed, _what do I do?_

Page was waiting for Walter and Mara at the front entrance, and Major Swift stood behind her, anxiously puffing at his pipe. "How is he?" he asked as soon as they arrived, "is he alright?"

Mara tried desperately not to blush at the memory of Ben's body. "He'll be fine. He just got slashed by a balverine."

"Bloody balverines," Swift sighed, "and damn Ben for giving me such a fright!"

Mara could have kissed Page for interrupting when she did. "Kidd says that the party will be tomorrow night, and I've decided on a change of plans. You and I are going to attend as guests."

"What?" Mara choked. "Guests at Reaver's party? I can't go, he'll recognize me!"

Page rolled her eyes and tossed her a sizable bundle. "Of course he will, Princess. That is why you will be wearing that. Now go try it on and report back."

Major Swift laughed heartily and clapped Mara on the shoulder. "Good luck, Princess! I have utter faith in your success! Now, I am off to find Ben, and give him a good scolding for cheating death so recklessly."

Mara opened the package and took out an elaborate gold party dress, complete with a mask and shoes. She sighed as she turned toward the living quarters, not eager to wear a dress again after so many months.

* * *

Ben jumped to his feet when Major Swift waltzed through the door of his room, puffing away at his pipe, his carefully molded mustache twitching with each toke. "Now, boy, care to explain to me why you had to give me such a scare?"

Ben ran his hand anxiously through his hair and paced the floor. "Oh, Swiftie, I'm in a bloody mess."

"Well, I'm sure I can find you some fresh clothes, if that's what you need."

"No, not that!" Ben sighed, and sat weakly on the bed. "I've done something…rather stupid."

"Of course you did, boy!" Swift scolded, "you went off and got yourself slashed by a balverine and gave me the fright of a life! Lucky the Princess was there to save your sorry behind."

Ben groaned at the mention of the princess, and fell limply back onto the bed. He rubbed his face, searching for some form of reason in his muddled mind. "I think…well, I think I've fallen in love."

"Ah!" Swift hopped excitedly over to Ben and sat next to him. "As stupid as that may be, this is wonderful news, lad! Who's the lucky lady?"

Ben stared helplessly at the ceiling. "Mara…"

"Good God, Ben!" Swift shouted, jumping back up to his feet like a spring. "The Princess? Are you mad, boy? You haven't slept with her, have you?"

"No!" Ben shouted, sitting up hastily. "No, I haven't slept with her!"

Swift eyed him suspiciously. "Have you thought of sleeping with her?"

Ben threw his hands in the air. "Of course I have! What kind of question is that? I've thought about it every damn day since I've met her! I thought for sure I was just lusting after another pretty girl, but…" he rubbed his face desperately. "I'm done for."

"Oh, no need to be so dramatic," Swift puffed, "I'm sure it will pass with time."

Ben shook his head. "I don't know, Swiftie."

Swift sighed and sat down again. He continued to puff on his pipe thoughtfully as he examined the young captain. "Ben, you are a good man. One of the best, I'd say. But she is a princess, and she has duties to uphold as such. I am telling you this because I don't want to see you get hurt. I consider you to be much like my own family."

Ben exhaled slowly. He already knew everything Swift was telling him, but it didn't keep the memory of Mara from lingering behind every thought.

He pulled himself to his feet with a groan and stretched, his back still sore from the evening's affairs.

"That balverine really did a number on you," Swift said, inspecting the fresh white scars that streaked across Ben's back.

"Yeah," Ben glanced at the empty bottle that Mara had left on the bedside table. "She fixed it with some Hero voodoo potion."

"'She' being the Princess?" Swift chuckled, and stood. "Get some rest, Ben. I expect to see you at headquarters in the morning."

"Yes, sir."

"And go straight to sleep, that's an order." Ben raised an eyebrow at Swift's insinuation, a little insulted by what he was implying. "It's going to be quite a day tomorrow. I'll be visiting our friend Logan at the castle, to give him a report on Fort Mourningwood. Page and the Princess are going back to the Millfields, so Walter will need your assistance during their absence."

"Millfields? What, for Reaver's party?"

Swift nodded, turning for the door. "And don't even think about trying to beg your way in. They can get along perfectly well without you. Now, off to dreamland with you, Captain!" He marched out the door and closed it behind him, leaving Ben standing, somewhat puzzled, in the middle of the room.

* * *

Page trudged awkwardly behind Mara through the forest that separated Bowerstone from the Millfields, holding a bundle of her party dress up past her knees. "How in the hell do you walk in these things?" She shouted angrily. "These damn clothes are so uncomfortable! I can't believe people wear these voluntarily!"

Mara walked along easily, thankful for her lifetime of training from living in the castle and wearing extravagant dresses for dinner every night. "The point isn't convenience, Page. It's fashion. A most inconvenient fashion."

"It's so heavy! Why is there so much fabric?" Page huffed and struggled wildly with her skirt. "I'm going to burn this goddamn thing when we get back, I swear it!"

Mara chuckled at Page's misfortune, thankful for the distraction. All she had been able to think about since the night before was Ben. She had not gotten a wink of sleep; she would concentrate her entire energy into clearing her mind, but as soon as she achieved it, her thoughts would relax and his damn face would appear in her mind again, forcing her to jerk violently out of sleep to shake the thoughts from her head. Poor Aldous had not slept, either; he spent the entire night sitting up next to her cot, watching her with alert eyes as she moaned and groaned in frustration.

What made it worse was that he was so damn attractive! His blond hair and blue eyes were enough to get any girl swooning, but as soon as that blasted smile creeped across his face, there was no helping her resolve. She couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Walter hadn't interrupted when he did.

And sweet Avo, Walter! If he had any suspicions that Ben had touched her, Mara knew that he would rip the captain limb from limb. He had taken on the responsibilities of the protective father when King Sparrow died, and he took those responsibilities extremely seriously.

Mara's thoughts were interrupted when a cry came from the edge of the trees. She and Page jumped into stance, ready to fight, when they saw the figure of a man staggering around a tree. His clothes were shredded and barely clinging to what skin had not been torn from his body, and he moaned with each step. As he lifted his eyes to see them, Page gasped.

"Connor!" She cried, and ran to him as he lost the remaining strength in his legs. She sat him up against a tree and studied his wounds with a horrified look on her face. "Connor, what happened?"

"He…" Connor coughed, sending a spray of blood from his lungs. "He knew we were coming, Page. He knew…"

Page swore as the man heaved for breath. "What about Kidd, Connor?" she asked him anxiously. "Is Kidd alright?"

The man coughed violently in response. Mara knew that there was nothing she could do to heal him, and she watched sadly as Page held her comrade in her arms, knowing these would be his final moments.

"Please, Page," he whispered, "You have to help them."

"I will, Connor," she answered, visibly fighting tears. "I promise I will bring them back. You rest now."

The man nodded, and leaned his head back against the tree. His labored breathing calmed, and he took a final, deep breath before passing.

Page swallowed hard, and gently closed her friend's eyes before rising to her feet. "Let's go, Princess," she said through clenched teeth. "This is now a rescue mission."

Mara had no time to reply before Page broke into a sprint, her dress no longer posing any inconvenience after witnessing the death of her associate.

They ran, breaking through the trees, and hurrying down a hill toward Bowerstone Lake. There, reflected in the calm waters, brightly lit and humming with lively activity, was Reaver's Estate.

* * *

The guards who stood at the front door of Reaver's mansion hardly took notice of Page and Mara as they strolled through the entrance. Their elaborate masks hid their faces, red from running, though the hems of their dresses were caked with mud. She soon realized, though, that their appearance would not be a problem.

Reaver's mansion was pulsing with drunken activity. Hordes of nobles in various states of undress laughed and danced merrily as they gulped down copious amounts of wine, hardly a drop making it into their mouths as everyone was incredibly intoxicated already. Mara could see Reaver sitting on an ornate couch near the stairs, laughing and pouring wine into the mouths of a few scantily clad women sitting around him.

Page tapped Mara on the shoulder. "We're pressed for time. I'll go upstairs and you check down here."

Mara nodded as Page ascended the grand staircase to the bustling second floor. She turned in the direction where she suspected the kitchen would be, guessing that any basement where Kidd and his men could be kept would be accessible from there. To her annoyance, she only found more elaborate rooms filled with drunken partygoers, and she turned around to find herself lost in the crowd.

She wandered through the swarms of people aimlessly, utterly lost until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around, hoping to see Page. Instead, Mara found herself face to face with a cream colored suit embellished with gold buttons and tassels. She stiffened in surprise, and raised her eyes to see Reaver smiling mischievously down at her.

"Welcome, Princess," he said deviously, "what a pleasant surprise! I almost didn't recognize you underneath that mask." He lifted his fingers to trace the will lines over her breasts, knowing full well that she couldn't fight back in this crowd. "Are you looking for your ruffian friends? You mustn't blame me, dove. They were, after all, trespassing on my property. Besides, showing up to a party uninvited is quite a bold act, don't you agree?" His smile dripped with malicious amusement. "I'll let you see them, Princess, if you're a good girl."

Mara glared at him, hoping deep in her soul that her eyes could kill him, but he continued to smile devilishly down at her. "Shall I give you the tour?" He said, putting his arm about her waist and pulling her up the stairs with him. He gestured with his cane as he spoke. "The hardwood floors are only the best of Mistpeak lumber, and the entire house is installed with the most sophisticated of sewage systems that dumps right into Mourningwood! Everything is kept squeaky clean by a handful of orphans I plucked from Industrial, dreadful little things. They aren't allowed to come out until all the guests have left, as I'm sure you can imagine." He led her through a maze of rooms, tipping his tall black hat to all the guests he passed, until he came to a large door. "Now then," he continued, bowing as he opened the door for Mara, "I would like to introduce you to some of my closest colleagues, my Princess. After you."

Mara reluctantly stepped into the room, and found herself speechless at the sight before her. Dozens of men and women, dressed and undressed, danced about wildly in a riotous orgy, laughing and screaming as they violently took each other, man and woman, man and man, woman and woman. It was complete chaos, and Mara turned hastily back to the door only to be caught in the steel-like grip of the Pirate King.

"Quite a wild bunch, aren't they?" he laughed. "They do love a good party."

"Let me go, Reaver."

"And miss all the fun?" he sang, and he grabbed her by the waist and jerked her into him, pressing her against the wall with his body and tearing her mask from her face. "My dear Princess, you want to help those men, don't you? I'm happy to give them back, or, what's left of them." Mara panicked as he grabbed her wrists, and she gasped in pain, certain they would break in his grip. He pressed his leg against her's, smiling when he felt the pistol she had strapped to her thigh. "But I am a businessman, Princess. I expect you to give me something in return for letting you live."

Mara drew her breath to protest, but she was muffled roughly with Reaver's mouth. He kissed her with an overpowering force, shoving his tongue into her mouth with such vigor she wanted to gag. She managed to pull her face away for a second, but he found her mouth again with a frustrated growl, and forced another kiss onto her.

A small man stepped through the door and cleared his throat next to Reaver. "My Lord, the, um, entertainment has been prepared."

Reaver pulled himself away and smiled excitedly. "Ah! Marvelous!" He turned around, but continued to hold Mara's wrists firmly in his hands. "Come, my friends, the festivities are ready to begin!"

Everyone in the room squealed with excitement, and whoever was dressed filed eagerly out the door behind Reaver, who pulled Mara closely next to him. They marched across the mansion to yet another door, which was opened before them. Mara found herself standing on a balcony above a large indoor arena, and trapped in a cage in the center of the pit was Kidd, with Page trying desperately to free him.

"Welcome, welcome," Reaver called, and Page shot her fiery glare up at the businessman who held Mara firmly at his side. "Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce this evening's entertainment, Page of the Bowerstone Resistance!"

The guests cheered wildly, and Reaver hushed them with a wave of his hand. "Now, dear Princess," he continued, "I do hope you enjoy the show."

Mara growled as she found the energy to summon a burst of fire which sent Reaver stumbling backward away from her. She leaped off the balcony and landed next to Page, who could tell by Mara's disheveled appearance just what had happened in the moments before. Mara jumped at the cage that held Kidd and shook the bars, searching for any weakness in their structure.

"Go, you must get out of here!" Kidd pleaded, "It was a trap all along! All the others are dead, I'm the only one left! Please leave me and escape!"

"Shut up!" Page growled, and Mara watched as she put her hands between the bars and put them on either side of Kidd's face with a gentleness that Mara had not seen from her before. "I'm not going to leave you."

A rumble interrupted her and the chains that held the cage began to lift it into the air. Mara held on desperately but lost her grip and fell to the ground.

"Now, now, Princess, you are a feisty one indeed!" Reaver laughed as Kidd's cage dangled in the air above them. "I'll give you another chance to join me in the box. Chop, chop, now!"

"Enough, Reaver!" Mara yelled, "Let him go!"

"If you insist, Princess," Reaver said with a smile, and he pulled a lever on the wall. Kidd yelled as the bottom of the cage dropped out from under him, and he fell to the ground. Mara flinched as a painful crack sounded from his leg when he hit the floor, and he cried out in pain when he looked down at his now broken leg.

"Now, since you refuse to leave the stage, Princess, I suppose you have decided to become part of the production. I do hope you are good at improv." Reaver tapped his cane and sighed. "I was so looking forward to getting to know you better, my dove, but, ah well!" He clapped his hands and turned to the people around him. "Shall we begin, my friends?"

Reaver's guests howled with excitement. Mara placed herself nervously in front of Page, who crouched over Kidd. The guests' howls became more vicious, morphing into ferocious snarls, and they salivated as their eyes glowed with exhilaration. Mara watched in horror as they convulsed, one by one, jerking about violently as spasms ripped through their clothes. Brown fur sprouted from their skin, and they leaped from the balcony. When they landed on the ground in front of Mara, they had turned into balverines.

Page yelled and produced a gun from beneath her dress, firing furiously at the monsters. They jumped around so erratically that Mara could not count them. She reached beneath her own skirt and searched for the pistol she had strapped to her leg, bringing it up just in time to fire a bullet into a balverine's eye.

Reaver watched with delight as Page and Mara fought off the monsters; with guns as their only weapons they would not last long at all. He knew the Princess could win this fight easily, though. She was a Hero, after all. Now was her time to prove it.

Page roared in frustration as she hurried to reload her gun. "We'll never beat them like this! It's hopeless!"

Mara whipped a balverine with her pistol and jumped back to Page and Kidd. "Get as close to me as you can," she said. "And don't move."

She took a deep breath as Page and Kidd followed her instructions. She descended into the depths of her own mind, falling into the intensity of her concentration. She opened her eyes calmly, and lifted her hands above her head as the balverines charged her. With a deafening roar, she brought her hands to the ground and the entire room shook vigorously. The balverines whined in confusion as they frantically tried to run, but a powerful wind swept them off their feet and threw them against each other.

Page gasped in awe as she watched the magnificent event unfold before her very eyes. Dozens of balverines whirled in the air around her, yelping as the wind cracked their bones and threw their limp bodies violently around the room like a tornado, with Mara crouched like a lion in the center. Her will lines glowed with a blue fury as the wind whipped her hair about.

Reaver watched in excitement as the wind died down, and every balverine was placed gently on the ground, all dead. She was indeed a Hero, just like her father had been. A Hero with incredible power, and no doubt a serious threat to her brother's crown.

Mara rose slowly to stand and turned her angry gaze upward to the raven haired man, and Page jumped to her feet and fired a shot straight at Reaver's head. He lifted his cane and swatted the bullet away as if it were nothing more than a gnat buzzing toward his face. "Now, now, no need to be rude!" He looked down at Mara, pleased with the surprise plastered on her face. "Well, Princess, it is rather impolite of you to dispose of all my company at once. Ah, no matter. They were really starting to bore me, anyway." He waved his hand for them to leave. "I suppose you had better run off, then. But I do hope to see you again, my dove." He winked at her and sent a new flurry of rage shooting through her veins. "Tatty bye!"

With that, he disappeared.


	6. Chapter 6 - Injustice is Swift

**Chapter 6**

**Injustice is Swift**

* * *

Kidd groaned as Mara and Page carried him up the hill toward Bowerstone. The moon had set a long time ago, and they were expecting the sun to rise soon; it had taken them the rest of the night to get Kidd out of Millfields. It was pure luck that they hadn't run into any more of those feral balverines on their way back. Though, Mara wondered if the reason they hadn't come across any balverines was because they had dispatched of the last of them at Reaver's mansion.

Just the thought of Reaver made Mara's head spin with anger. The feeling of his lips on hers still lingered, like an infuriating itch that she just couldn't scratch. Ben's lips, though rougher than Reaver's, had been much more enjoyable.

Page stopped to take a break, and they set Kidd down. "I cannot thank you enough," Kidd said as he settled on the ground. "I owe you both my life."

"We weren't going to leave without you," Mara told him. "I only wish we got there earlier." Kidd nodded sadly.

Page sighed, turning to Mara, and to Mara's surprise, held out her hand. "Princess, I must apologize. Until now, I did not trust that I could count on your support. I thought you were just another noble, and you didn't really care about the plight of the lower class. However, after having fought by your side, and having witnessed your power with my own eyes, I know now that I can count on you. I will gladly follow you."

Mara, stunned, shook Page's hand. "Thank you, Page. I promise you won't regret it."

Page smiled. "I'll hold you to that."

They received quite the reception when they dragged Kidd into the resistance headquarters, bedraggled and exhausted. Two men ran quickly to them to take Kidd, and Page and Mara leaned limply against the wall to catch their breath. Walter and Ben came hurdling around the corner at the commotion, and ran to them.

"What happened, Page? Where are the rest of the men?"

"They're dead," Page answered. "And if it weren't for the Princess, Kidd and I would be dead too."

Mara tried desperately to avoid making eye contact with Ben, who stood awkwardly with his hands in the pockets of his uniform vest. "Has Major Swift sent any word?" She asked Walter.

"Not since he left for the castle this morning," Walter answered, and he nudged Ben with the back of his hand. "He went to visit you last night, did he not?"

Ben cleared his throat and nodded, painfully aware of Mara's presence next to him. "Well, yes he did. But we didn't talk about anything…very important." Mara looked up at him as he stared at a spot on the wall uncomfortably.

"Hmm." Walter sighed and waved his hand. "I'm sure he'll be back soon. For now, you two had better get some rest. You look like you need it."

Page and Mara looked at each other and chuckled at their mutually pitiful state. A bark echoed from within the tunnels ahead, and Mara turned just in time to see Aldous barreling down the corridor, nearly knocking Ben over as he flew by, his tongue flapping wildly with his uncontainable joy. Mara dropped to her knees and caught the dog in her arms, laughing as he wriggled with excitement.

"_He's_ been nothing but trouble since you two left," Walter said with a roll of his eyes. "We had to lock him up in the back room to keep him from running after you."

Mara wrapped her arms tightly around Aldous' middle and squeezed him. "He just wants to go on adventures, don't you, boy?" Aldous whined with happiness as his mistress hugged him.

Walter laughed and he turned to leave with Page. "I wasn't talking about the dog. I was talking about Ben!" He slapped Ben on the back with incredible force and laughed all the way down the tunnel, his roars bellowing throughout the entire sewer.

Mara looked up to see Ben, frozen with his eyes bugged out of his head. She stood to avoid any more awkward interaction, and quickly started past him. "I should go rest. Thank you for watching Aldous while I was gone."

To her surprise, a strong hand grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Princess…I have to apologize…for the other night." Mara turned around and Ben removed his hand, holding it stiffly at his side. "I don't know what came over me. Please forgive me."

He was looking past her, unable to look her straight in the eye. Mara sighed, and smiled. "Don't worry yourself over it, Ben. Everyone has moments of weakness, I suppose."

Mara could see a glint of some emotion flash across Ben's face that she couldn't place, sadness perhaps, but he quickly composed himself and chuckled. "Well, you know me, Princess. Can't resist a pretty girl." She felt a wave of relief when he shot her his distinctive, devilish wink. "Or, I'm sure you looked pretty before you took a mud bath in your party dress."

Mara gasped and slapped his arm, relieved to see that Ben was his normal, teasing self. He laughed and flinched back at her strike, and Aldous jumped up at him, ready to attack. Mara smiled and clapped her hands, turning to leave with her guard dog hopping happily at her heels.

* * *

The sky was a murky shade of gray that day; it seemed like nighttime though the clocks maintained that it was mid afternoon. Mara looked out the windows of the study down into the courtyard at the gathering crowd as they yelled and jeered angrily against the reign of the king.

"I don't like this," Elliot said, squeezing her hand. "If this goes on much longer there's no telling what Logan will do."

Mara looked down at their intertwined fingers, and a sudden wave of dread washed over her. She looked up at Elliot, and without any reason, reached up and kissed his cheek, unable to explain how frightened she felt.

A sudden outburst of voices from the lobby made them jump, and they ran to see what was happening. The guards were dragging three of the protesters up the stairs, toward the throne room, and they cried and pleaded for their lives. "No," Elliot muttered, "Logan's going to kill them!" He abruptly grabbed Mara by the shoulders and looked her fiercely in the eyes. "Mara, you must do something. We cannot let them die! You're Logan's sister, he might listen to you."

Mara could feel a weight on her chest as she struggled to breath. She blinked to clear the tears from her eyes, and she lost all strength in her legs.

The floor came flying up towards her face, and she caught herself on her hands, choking with sobs. She looked up to see Logan, her beloved big brother, staring down at her with cold, uncaring eyes.

"I…" she growled, "…I will never forgive you."

"Good," Logan turned on his heel to walk away. "Then you will never forget it."

Thunder rolled, and she wept like a helpless child on the floor.

* * *

Ben watched with a furrowed brow as Mara sat across the table from him, picking mindlessly at a piece of crusty bread. "Sleep well, Princess?"

Mara groaned in response, and continued to pick at her bread. She wanted so much to have one night of restful sleep, though it seemed that fate did not have that in mind for her. She brought the bread to her mouth, but could not find the strength to take a bite, and she put it back down on her plate. Ben sighed and reached over to tear the bread into pieces for her. "Baby steps, love," he muttered, and he tossed a small hunk to Aldous who had been watching with painfully large eyes. He swallowed it down and licked his lips in gratitude.

He waited in silence as Mara carefully swallowed each piece, and he nudged a glass of water toward her. "Now this." She obediently drank, and when she was finished, dropped her head on the table with a thunk.

"I'm so tired."

Ben leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the table. "I can tell."

"I dreamed about him again last night."

"About Elliot?"

"Mhmm."

Ben rubbed his neck as Page entered through the far door. She took a moment to look at Mara, and she glanced quizzically at Ben. He waved his hand to tell her she was fine, and she shrugged. "Good morning, Princess," she said as she sat on the table, "or, rather, afternoon now."

Mara groaned again and lifted her head. A big red circle marked the spot on her forehead that she had been leaning against, and Ben stifled a giggle. "How is Kidd?" she asked.

Page shrugged. "He'll be fine. It will be a while before he can walk again, though."

Walter suddenly burst through the doorway, sending every soul in the room jumping back in surprise. "Logan's ordered all citizens to the Castle for an address. He's urging everyone to attend."

"What could he be up to, I wonder?" Ben asked, and he dragged his boots off the table.

Walter shook his head. "I don't know, that's why I think it would be best if you and Mara go find out."

Aldous nudged his head underneath Mara's arm, and she scratched his nose. "Won't I be recognized at the castle?"

"Not in a crowd. Not enough people know what you look like."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Walter's right. And his rather intimidating stature will only draw attention. Luckily, dear Logan has not had the pleasure of meeting yours truly, so I'll be happy to accompany you, Princess."

"Alright," Mara said, standing. "Won't you join us, Page?"  
Page chuckled. "Are you kidding? I'm a wanted woman; my face is plastered all over Bowerstone. The guards will sooner recognize me than you."

Mara waved her hand and followed Ben toward the door. Aldous whined when she gestured for him to sit. "You had better stay, boy. Logan's sure to remember you."

* * *

The castle courtyard was swarming with people, and Mara hooked her arm through Ben's to keep herself from getting lost in the crowd. The sky threatened rain as the people pressed into the courtyard. Mara and Ben pushed as close as they could get to the front, and they could see Logan watching the crowd through the front windows in the foyer. Standing beside him, smirking at the throng of people underneath his towering top hat, was Reaver. Mara instinctively shrunk back and buried her head into Ben's shoulder.

"Shit, it's him!"

"Who?" Ben looked around. "'Him' who?"

"Reaver! If anyone can spot me in a crowd, it's him. He has the eyes of a hawk."

Ben patted her arm. "Don't worry, love. I won't let him get you. Besides, I can't imagine he can move very fast with that ridiculous building on his head."

Mara snickered and lifted her head to see Logan step out onto the balcony. The crowd burst into angry jeers and hisses, and he lifted his hands to silence them, surrounded by guards with rifles drawn. Mara felt a twinge of sadness at the sight of her brother; his skin was so pale and devoid of color that he looked like a living ghost. His dark hair was near his shoulders, and his beard had grown so long he was hardly recognizable. He looked exhausted, thin, and bereft of life.

"Looks like dear Logan needs some sleep as well." Ben muttered.

"People of Albion," he began, his voice booming over the crowd as thunder rolled in the distance, "there are traitors among us." Ben and Mara glanced at each other as the crowd murmured with confusion. "Yes, traitors. Traitors who plot to end us. Traitors who would have you believe their cause is noble. They wear many masks. They may look like your family, they may look like your friends. They may even look like your most loyal servants." Logan clapped his hands, and a small group of guards dragged a prisoner out onto the ground below. Ben caught his breath and squeezed Mara's arm when they saw who it was. He was in his underwear, naked and humiliated. His skin was bruised and beaten, and his eyes had been swollen shut above his greying mustache.

"Swift," Ben whispered.

"This," Logan continued, pointing an accusing finger at the major, "This is the face of a traitor. Major Swift, a respected member of the army and sworn servant of the kingdom, has plotted against us all. He was apprehended attempting to turn loyal soldiers against us, and is thus charged with espionage, treason, and conspiracy." Ben dropped his head in anger, his hair falling over his eyes. Mara could see his jaw clench tight.

"Let this be a warning to you all. Anyone suspected of plotting against the kingdom will suffer the same fate as Major Swift. The fate of all enemies of the crown."

Ben growled and began to lunge forward as the guard next to Swift raised his pistol. Mara wrapped her arms tightly around his waist as the shot rang through the air, and Swift fell limply to the ground. Ben froze as he watched the blood pool underneath Swift's head, and the rain began to fall, washing it down the steps. The shocked gasps of the crowd filled the air, and Mara pulled Ben out of the courtyard. He followed her in a daze as the rain got harder, and they took cover under a bridge next to the river.

"He—he just killed him. Swift, he—" Ben gasped, and sobs tore through his chest. "Why did you stop me?!"

Mara clapped her hands roughly on either side of Ben's face, and looked him firmly in the eyes. "Ben, listen to me. There was nothing you could do."

"We could have at least tried to—"

She felt angry tears roll down her face as memories of Elliot flashed through her mind. "No, Ben. Please believe me. There was nothing we could do."

Ben stared at her in disbelief, then squeezed his eyes shut. He knew she was right. He knew that Swift would have been furious with him if he had tried to do anything, and died in the attempt. He knew that Swift wanted the best for Ben, that he looked at Ben as if he was his own son; Swift had been more of a father to him than Theodore Finn.

He felt his legs buckle and he crumpled to the ground. Mara leaned him against the canal wall and knelt next to him. "Ben, listen. I cannot stay here with you. I have to go warn the others now. Promise me you won't do anything stupid?"

Ben looked up at her, at his Princess. Swift's Princess. The woman to whom Swift had sworn his allegiance to, and the woman who Swift had loyally died for. The sight of her brown eyes made him ache, and he looked down, helplessly nodding his head. He couldn't put her in danger because of his temper.

"Alright," Mara whispered, and she leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Stay here, or find a room to dry off in. I'll come back to find you soon."

Ben watched as she stepped out from under the bridge and disappeared into the pouring rain. Thunder rattled the bricks beneath him, and he leaned his arms on his knees and wept.


	7. Chapter 7 - Love and Loss

**Chapter 7**

**Love and Loss**

* * *

Mara sprinted as fast as she could through the streets of Bowerstone. The rain pounded against her face, and she squinted against the cold wind.

It had happened again. The image of Ben's weak, sobbing form was etched into her mind; she had reacted the same way when Elliot died.

This was war. This was the cold hard truth of starting a revolution. People were going to die. People she cared about were going to die. And there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.

Thunder cracked above her, and she slipped on the slick cobblestones. She felt a sharp sting when her hands scraped against the ground, and her knees throbbed from crashing straight into the hard stones. She felt a sob rip through her chest as her wet hair fell off her shoulders. "Ow," she whispered, and she weakly pulled herself back to her feet.

She arrived back at the sewers a soaking mess. Walter and Page gasped at the sight of her, and a crowd surrounded her when she called to them.

"What happened, Princess?" Walter asked, throwing people aside to get to her. Mara grabbed his huge arms to steady herself.

"Walter," She gasped, "Major Swift is dead."

Page covered her mouth in surprise as Walter stared sadly at Mara. "He's dead?"

"Yes, Walter. Logan had him executed for treason. In front of the whole city." Walter let out a wail at the news of his old friend's death, clutching Mara desperately.

"Damn that Logan!" He bellowed, and Page put a hand on his back to comfort him. "What about Ben? Where's Ben? Swift's entire unit is in trouble now!"

"Ben's fine," Mara assured him, though she wasn't positive of that fact herself. "I'll bring him back here when he's calmed down."

"Poor boy," Walter sighed. "First his family, now Swift. And I'm sorry you had to see it, Princess."

Mara shook her head. "Right now we have to focus on the safety of our allies. Send out a warning to everyone immediately."

Page nodded, and Mara turned to leave. "Where are you going?" She called, and Mara didn't take the time to look back at them.

"To find Ben!" She didn't stop to hear their response as she sprinted back through the sewers and out into the rain.

* * *

The people of Bowerstone went about their daily work despite the torrential rain, and Mara ran past humming factories and bustling warehouses as she raced through Industrial. She continued to run, despite the stabbing pains in her muscles that begged for her to stop. She wanted to get back to Ben as soon as possible. All of her thoughts—Swift's execution, Reaver's frightening grin, Logan's heartless eyes, the pouring rain—every one of them led her back to Ben. She ached when she thought about how he was suffering, the same way she had suffered at Elliot's death.

She flew down the stairs that led to the canal by the marketplace, and sprinted to the bridge where she had left him. He was not there. She whipped her head around and searched frantically for him. "Ben!" She called, but her voice was lost in the wind and rain. She clenched her teeth and started running again, up the stairs, across the marketplace, and to the Cock in the Crown.

The pub was pretty much empty as most of the citizens were still at work, and she leaned over the counter to catch her breath. The barkeep gasped when he recognized her from a few days before, and he handed her a towel to wipe her face. "You looking for Finn?"

Mara jumped up. "Yes, is he here?"

The barkeep pointed upstairs. "I gave him a room to dry off in—"

Mara sprinted toward the stairs, calling back to the man, who was frozen from surprise. "Thank you!"

She knocked quietly on the door before opening it, and to her relief, Ben was sitting at the table with a tankard of ale. His clothes were hanging on the back of the other chairs, and he wore a tunic and pants that he must have borrowed from the barkeep. He waved her in. "Come in, Princess. I'm calm and have ale."

Mara shut the door behind her and sat across from him. "Are you alright?"

"I will be when I finish this," he said, bringing the mug to his lips and throwing back the rest of the ale. Mara looked around the table at the several empty steins scattered over it. "Don't you think you've had enough to drink?"

"No! Not at all! I want all of the drinks," he pointed to his stomach, "right here. I've been drinking for a long time, Princess. This isn't nearly enough to get me drunk."

"If you say so," Mara sighed, and she wrung out her hair into one of the empty tankards. Ben laughed and pulled the shirt off over his head. "Here, Princess. Take off that soaking shirt, you'll catch a cold." He handed her the shirt and stood, turning around. "I won't look."

Mara glanced at the scars on his back before obliging, peeling her drenched shirt delicately off of her skin, replacing it with the dry tunic. It was warm, and it smelled like Ben, like a mixture of gunpowder and cologne. She shivered.

"Are you decent?" He asked.

"Yes, you may turn around."

Ben sat back down and looked into the empty stein where his ale used to be. "Would you like something to drink? Barkeep owes me."

Mara shook her head. "No, I don't want any."

"Well I do." Ben rose to his feet again and stuck his head out the door, calling down below. "Dalton! More ale!"

"Aye, I hear ya!" the voice sounded from below, and Ben winked back at Mara as he waited for the man to bring him his tankard. "Thank you, my good man," he said with a smile, and he kicked the door shut behind him, happily sipping at his ale. They sat in silence for a while, Mara staring at Ben as he drank. He still had a twinge of agony across his face, though he was done crying. He saw that she was watching him, and he sighed, obliging her unspoken curiosity. "Swift was like a father to me," he explained. "After years of wandering the world without any purpose, he found me and took me in as if I were his own son. He's the one who introduced me to the army, and gave me some sort of purpose." He finished his ale, and cleared his throat. "This is good stuff, I may still need more."

Mara smiled. "Haven't you ever heard of too much of a good thing?" she teased, and Ben chuckled, allowing Mara to relax as his eyes glinted with their usual cheerfulness again.

"Not from a princess, I haven't." He leaned back, the blond hairs on his sculpted bare chest presenting a distraction to Mara's concentration. "Can't you be one of those princesses who cares about her clothes and the appearance of her fingernails?"

Mara shrugged. "Can't always get what you want, Captain Finn."

Ben smiled and took a long swig of ale before speaking. "I can. I always get what I want." He rose to his feet and walked over to his clothes to check how they were drying. "Do you want to know how, Princess?"

"Mmm."

He turned around and watched her for a moment. "I don't want things that I know I can't have. And if I do, I get punished." He shrugged. "So, I want the bare necessities. A hot meal, fantastic sex, and a lot of beer." He walked swiftly back to the table and leaned over her, pressing her back into her chair. "And you, Princess," he breathed, "are beautiful."

Mara couldn't find the strength to move.

"And—and I can't have you."

Ben's face was incredibly close to hers, and she could see him fighting the desire to close the distance. She felt her heart race and all the blood in her body rushed to her cheeks. She remembered how intensely exciting it was when he kissed her before, and she felt her toes curl involuntarily in anticipation.

His lips were barely about to brush against hers when he sighed and pushed himself away from her, rubbing his head. She watched with wide eyes as he leaned against the wall, his back turned toward her, and his muscles tense with frustration.

"I'm sorry, Princess. Please ignore me. I must be drunk after all."

Mara sat in silence for a moment, watching his wide shoulders rise and fall with his labored breath. She couldn't deny the desire she felt for him, she had finally come to realize. Her limbs tingled with the awareness of her craving. She rose slowly from her seat, and against all the better judgement screaming through her mind, she reached out and wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his broad back.

He stiffened at her touch, petrified with surprise. "Pr—Princess?" She held him for a moment before he grabbed her wrists and abruptly turned around. "Princess, I beg of you not to tempt me. I won't be able to—"

Mara leaned into him and hushed him with a kiss. Without a moment to even think, he grabbed her and returned her kiss with a fervor that sent her head whirling, and she was afraid she might faint. He gave her no chance to come up for air as he kissed her again and again, each time with more fury than the one before. He let out a groan when he felt her press herself against him, and all of his rationality vanished with his resolve.

Thunder rolled outside as Mara was thrown onto the bed, and Ben jumped hastily on top of her, tearing hungrily at the tunic she wore as he brought his mouth back down onto hers. She tangled her fingers through his golden hair, wanting more of him with every desperate kiss.

Lightning lit up the room as clothes were flung aside, and the rain patted loudly against the window as they found themselves naked and entwined, exploring each other as if their very lives depended on it, falling deeper and deeper into the throes of passion.

* * *

Lieutenant Thomas Grove jumped at the thunder outside as he tore off his uniform. He heard his Rosie hustling about in the darkness across the room beneath the pattering of rain against the window, and she hurried back to his side, close enough so that he could see her beautiful features in the blue, drizzly moonlight. He couldn't stop himself from cupping his hand around the back of her head, her strawberry blonde curls billowing over his arm, and he pulled her face to his so that he could kiss her. She obliged him for a moment, but pulled away from him as his passion heightened, shoving a bundle of clothes into his arms.

"Here are some of Papa's clothes," she whispered hastily. "They should fit. And there's an old hat you can wear so they can't see your face." She helped him out of the rest of his bright red uniform and pulled the tunic over his head. He leaned in to kiss her again as he plunged his arms into the sleeves, and she pushed him away so that he could put on the pants. Her father's clothes were a bit large for him, but they would have to do. With a hat, the guards shouldn't be able to recognize him. "You should go now," she said, pushing him toward the door, "go out the back."

Grove turned back around and wrapped his arms quickly around her waist, pulling her in for another passionate kiss. "Wait for me, Rosie," he whispered against her lips, "I'll come back as soon as I'm finished with Sir Walter." His heart pounded as his beloved returned his kiss, and he allowed himself a few more moments in her arms. He leaned over brushed his lips against her ear. "We'll go to Brightwall and stay with my Uncle Samuel at the Academy. I promise."

She smiled and turned him around to push him out the back door. She watched as he jogged out into the rain, pulling her father's old tricorn hat over his head as thunder rolled again. He turned back around to smile at her one more time before disappearing into the alleyways of Bowerstone.

Lightning flared in the skies above, and she jumped in surprise as a hard knock came from the front door. She rushed to the front room as her father hurried down the stairs to answer the door; before she could protest, a shot rang through the air, and he fell to the ground. "Papa!" She screamed in horror, and knelt over her father's limp body. She looked up into the smoking barrel of a rifle, a member of the King's personal guard staring down at her with ruthless indifference.

* * *

An unsuspectedly piercing clap of thunder tore Ben from his sleep, and he lifted his head gently from his pillow to look at the rain that cascaded down the dark window. He sighed, and set his head back down, turning to look at the breathtaking creature that was sleeping soundly beside him. Her long, dark curls spilled over her bare shoulders, which were as pale as ivory. He gently reached over to stroke her soft cheek with the back of his hand, studying her long eyelashes and red lips. He couldn't believe she was really here next to him; even feeling the touch of her skin wasn't enough to convince him that this wasn't a dream.

He exhaled quietly as he recalled the feeling of her, the feeling of his Princess. Her smooth skin, her hot breath, the unbelievable warmth of her welcome in the moment he finally desperately took her. Had it truly been her voice that had called his name in the night, her voice that had moaned wildly at his touch? If by some cruel twist of fate this body next to him was an apparition, may Avo strike him down if he still wasn't satisfied to die with this his final memory.

"Mara," he whispered, letting the sweetness of her name linger on his lips like a fine wine. She sighed contentedly as she stirred, and she brought her arm over his chest to pull herself closer to him, drawn to his warmth. "Hmm?" she moaned faintly, barely audible over the storm outside.

He stroked her arm softly, painfully unwilling to end this moment. "We should head back soon, Princess."

Mara groaned quietly in protest, and her lashes fluttered sleepily as she looked up at him with big brown eyes. "Do we have to?"

Ben smiled and leaned over to brush his lips lightly against hers. "I'm afraid so, love."

She pressed her lips harder against his, sending a new wave of excitement through him as he took her hand and pulled her over him. She leaned against his bare chest, continuing to kiss him intensely, herself reluctant to pull herself away as she tangled her tongue with his. Ben snickered nervously at her eagerness, pulling his mouth away. "Careful, Princess. You'll get me excited again."

Mara chuckled and looked into his blue eyes, unable to describe just how happy she was in this moment. "If you say so, Captain." She unwillingly withdrew from him, and swung her feet over the bed to stand. It was dark in the room, and there was a blue glow emanating from the rain outside, though the moon was hidden behind the clouds. She felt strange that she had no anxieties about being naked in front of Ben as she walked over to where her clothes were piled on the floor. They were still damp, but she pulled them on anyway, shivering against the cold fabric.

Ben watched her as she dressed, mesmerized by her angelic form basked in the blue, rainy light, and a bit ashamed of what he had done to it. "Are you—are you alright?"

"A bit sore, but not too bad." She turned to him and smiled. "Quite alright."

He pulled himself to his feet and dressed, listening to the pattering of the rain against the window. They prepared to leave in silence, and as Mara opened the door to go downstairs, Ben grabbed her arm to stop her. "Princess, I—"

"If you plan on apologizing again, you can save your breath." She turned around, and smiled warmly at him. "You mean a lot to me, Ben. I cannot quite express it."

Before Ben could respond, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him one last time before taking him by the hand and leading him out of the inn. He followed, dazed and unable to choke out any words as they fought against the rain on their way back to Industrial.

* * *

The sight of his old comrade sent a wide smile streaking across Ben's already beaming face as he entered into the sewer hideout with Mara. "If it isn't Tom Grove!" He laughed, grabbing his friend and jerking him into a hug. "How are you, mate? I haven't seen you since Mourningwood."

Grove laughed heartily and returned Ben's enthusiastic embrace . "I've been well, thank you Ben. Sorry about Swiftie, though." Ben nodded sadly as the Lieutenant stepped back to tip his hat at Mara. "Good to see you again, Princess. I do hope my dear Captain has treated you well," he chuckled, winking at Ben.

Mara smiled sweetly. "Quite well, thank you." Ben froze, his head lifted toward the ceiling to avoid Grove's suspicious stare.

Walter sat at a table on the other side of the room with Page, reading a letter with a furrowed brow. Mara walked to him and put her hand on his heavy shoulder, looking down at the parchment he held in his hands. "Grove brought it," he explained. "It's a letter from Swift."

"From Swift?" Ben asked excitedly, turning his head back to Grove. His comrade nodded. "I was able to sneak it out of the castle before he was taken prisoner. Now the guards are looking for me, I'm sure."

"What does it say, Walter?" Mara asked, and the old man shook his head. "Not much," he answered, scratching his beard. "All it really says is that we are sure to find allies in Aurora."

"Aurora?" Page questioned, her face bent into an expression of disbelief. "What reason do the Aurorans have to help us?"

"I don't know, but Swift died to get this information to us." Walter sighed. "I think we have no choice but to trust him."

Mara held her breath. She never dreamed that she would visit Aurora, their desert neighbors across the sea to the south. She had read about it in books, that it was a desolate, inhospitable land filled with ancient temples and dark magic. The Aurorans were said to have descended from an ancient civilization predating Albion, but it had all but disappeared in the last few centuries, any written records of their rich history along with it. All that was left of their great culture was the City of Aurora at the northern tip of the desert, and there were no clear reasons how they could possibly be of any help to the revolution, or if they would even care for Albion's plight.

"Aurora, eh?" Ben leaned his elbow on Grove's shoulder. "It's been a long time since I've been on a good old fashioned adventure. What do you say, Grove?"

Grove laughed and patted Ben's arm. "I'm afraid I must decline, my friend. I have to get back to Rosie."

"When are you going to get it over with and marry that girl?" Ben whispered, raising his eyebrows. Grove sighed. "I can't marry her now, I'm wanted for espionage."

"You had better hurry," Ben said, pushing himself off of Grove and clapping him on the shoulder. "She's the best catch you'll find." His eyes flashed involuntarily toward Mara, and Grove noticed. "I'd say the same to you," Grove muttered, "but I fear for the sanity of any woman you'll catch."

Ben slapped his friend playfully over the head and pushed him toward the door. "Begone with you, foul beast! And give Rosie a kiss for me."

"Will do, mate." Grove waved goodbye to the rest of the group before ducking through the door and out into the sewers.

Page sighed as the metal door was shut, and leaned over on her elbows. "Well," she started, rubbing her head, "now we know what our next course of action is. All we need to do is find a boat that can get us to Aurora."

"Well, Reaver keeps a well stocked supply down at Industrial docks," Ben suggested, "though I don't believe he does much trade with Aurora."

"No," Walter shook his head. "We're not going to find any ships that are sailing for Aurora any time soon. We'll have to borrow one."

"Borrow?" Ben asked with a smirk, a hint of mischief glinting his voice. "And who, do you propose, has a ship we can borrow?"

"I don't know, Ben." Walter smiled. "You're going to find one for me."

Mara and Page giggled at the excitement Ben was positively unable to contain.

* * *

Reaver waltzed through the Bowerstone Marketplace, holding his umbrella delicately over his perfectly sculpted shoulders even though the rain had already stopped, and the moon was shining through the clouds onto his charmingly pointy face. The square was quiet, save the lively pub next to the canal; Reaver watched as a beautiful red head with a bulging chest served drinks to the laughing patrons inside. Upon seeing her, he decided that he might purchase the pub, which was called the Cock in the Crown, a dreadful name, and then after becoming it's owner he would promptly ravish the woman. He smirked at the thought, and continued on his stroll, his mind wandering over his latest sexual conquests; these included a strapping young man of about twenty who Reaver thought was a dock worker, and a petite maid in the castle who was rather prone to shrieking. Each of these had been unchallenging in their execution, as each of them had given themselves very readily to him as soon as he flashed them his flawless smile. Speaking of which, he reminded himself that he was almost due for a visit to the Shadow Court.

A sudden piercing cry interrupted his thoughts, and the Pirate turned toward the direction from which it came. Intrigued, he followed it to a home off the square, backing up against the Old Quarter. A small crowd had gathered at the door of the house, and Reaver stood back in the shadows as he could see very clearly what had happened.

A young man, no more than twenty-five as Reaver estimated, was sobbing uncontrollably on the floor of the home, with the limp body of a beautiful strawberry blonde girl held tightly in his arms. Her clothes had been ripped from her body, and it was obvious that she had been assaulted violently before being shot between the eyes. Whoever killed her must have wanted something from her, more than her body…information, perhaps? The dead body of an older man, probably her father, lay on the floor nearby.

The man held her tightly to him, unable to let her go at the pleading of the people around him. His body shook fiercely as sobs tore through his chest, and he howled angrily in despair. Reaver almost felt sorry for the lad. Chances were that this was the handiwork of the King's personal guard, though Reaver knew that Logan would not have ordered his men to rape the woman. He would have ordered them to just kill her and be done with it. Poor girl, it was indeed a waste, as she seemed to have been breathtakingly stunning when she still lived.

Reaver sighed, bored with the sight, and turned to leave. He continued his stroll down the cobblestone walkways, whistling happily to himself as thoughts of his beautiful Princess floated into his mind.


	8. Chapter 8 - South to Aurora

**Hello and happy Friday to all! (or, to the readers who are currently experiencing a Friday. to the others, happy other day!)**

**I've been distracted lately. My intense love for the game _Bully_ has been reignited, and I've been trying to keep from wandering into that fan fic-dom until I'm done with Fable! And I have a lot of things in store for Fable. mwahaha!**

**On another note, I got to play on silks today at circus school. They are very difficult. Have you ever been sore? NO YOU HAVE NOT. **

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**South to Aurora**

* * *

Ben burst cheerfully into the map room of the sewer hideout where Page, Mara, and Walter were meeting, with Kidd laying on Page's bed in the corner. "You'll be happy to know that I have procured transportation to Aurora," he sang, elbowing Walter in the gut. "What do you say, Wallie? Ready for an adventure?"

Walter slapped Ben's arm away and grunted in annoyance. "It's been decades since I've been on a so-called adventure, and I'm rather reluctant to start again."

"Aw, come on, Wallie!" Ben patted the knight loudly on the shoulder. "It will be a cinch! Logan himself lent us the ship we will be using. All we have to do is sneak past the guards who will surely be swarming the place, and we're on our way!"

"Sounds fun," Mara said, patting Aldous on the head. "I'm up for it."

"Where is this ship located?" Walter asked, crossing his stocky arms over his chest.

Ben pointed at the Industrial harbor on the map. "It should be docking at the old steel factory landing as we speak. It is scheduled to depart tomorrow night for Bloodstone, so our window to take it will be tonight. Apparently their cargo calls for tight security, so we'll be walking into a fight." He looked up at them, raising his eyebrows. "You in?"

"I'm assuming you have a plan, considering this is such short notice?" Walter asked. Ben grinned. "I do indeed, Wallie."

Mara and Walter exchanged glances, then back at Page. "I suppose we'll be leaving tonight, Page," Walter said. "I hope you can spare us so soon."

"She'll be fine," Kidd called from his place across the room, scratching an itch on his elevated leg. "I'm here, after all."

"Some help you'll be, cripple," Ben teased, and he narrowly dodged a bottle that Kidd threw at his head.

"Well, then," Mara said, "we have about six hours until nightfall. Let's get started, shall we?"

* * *

Nighttime swept quickly over Bowerstone Industrial, and Walter hurried out to secure the south side of the warehouse. Before he left, however, he took a moment to give Ben a strict warning. "If you don't get the Princess to those docks in one piece, boy, it will be your head."

Ben chuckled nervously. "Honestly, Wallie! The one you should worry about is me, not our Hero Princess."

Walter grunted and left.

"Ready to go?" A deliciously bewitching voice asked behind him. Ben turned around and saw Mara, dressed in men's clothes but still overflowing with feminine charm, her loyal collie companion sitting at her feet. Ben stepped toward her with a smile on his face. "You look like a highwayman," he teased, and he looked down at Aldous. "Is he coming with us?"

Mara frowned at the question. "Of course he is! He hasn't had any fun since we got here."

Ben ignored the dog and raised his hand to trace Mara's bare neck with his fingers. He mourned that her beautiful hair had to be pulled up into a hat, even for the purposes of a disguise. She smiled at his touch, and lifted her chin, inviting him to close the distance between their mouths. It was when his lips were barely brushing against hers that he realized they weren't alone.

Page stood in the doorway with her arms folded over her chest, waiting patiently for the pair to finish. "Shouldn't you two be off soon?"

Ben jumped back, his face burning. "Page! It—this—"

She put up a hand to stop him. "Hush, Captain. I know all about your little affair with Mara." Ben saw Mara blush out of the corner of his eye, but she did not seem surprised.

"You knew? How?"

Page rolled her eyes. "Please. I may seem like I have no soul, but I am still a woman. You should count yourself lucky that Walter doesn't have such intuition." Mara giggled, and Ben looked quickly from one woman to the other, still stunned. No matter how good he was at seducing them, women would always remain a mystery to him.

Mara whistled for Aldous, and she turned for the door. "We'll be off now, Page. Good luck while we're gone."

"And to you, Princess." Page gave her a light hug. "Don't come back without good news."

Ben gave her a quick salute before following Mara out of the sewers with Aldous prancing behind him.

* * *

The warehouse that sat in front of the docks was infested with Logan's guards; Mara and Ben crouched behind a stone wall that surrounded the outer yard, watching the purple uniformed soldiers stroll around the perimeter.

"There are certainly more than I expected," Ben admitted, "But nothing we can't handle."

"I'm assuming you have a plan?" Mara asked, turning her eyes to him.

Ben shrugged. "Sure." He stood, and motioned for Mara to follow. "Watch and learn, Princess. You'll never see a more convincing performance."

They wandered up to a closed gate, and Ben rapped the iron with his palm. "Hello, there!" He called happily, and the guards on the other side gripped their rifles as they stepped up to the gate. "Stop! Only royal guards allowed here!"

Ben put his hands in the air and stepped back. "I know, I know. But can I just say, wow, you look so stylish in those uniforms, I mean with the helmet and everything. My friend and I were wondering if we could join up, because you just make ordinary soldiers look so inadequate."

"Leave." The guard growled.

"Oh, come on," Ben prodded, "don't you have any leaflets or application forms we could take with us? If we could get inside to get your autographs, even. We are such huge fans!"

The guard angrily tore the gate open and pointed his rifle at Ben, forcing him to take a step back. Mara clenched her fists and felt a surge of fire billowing through her veins.

"Leave, or we will be forced to terminate you!"

Ben raised his eyebrows at Mara. "See? Even their vocabulary is stylish."

Before the guard had a chance to shoot, Mara leaped toward him and hurdled a ball of fire at him, sending him and his two colleagues falling backward, writhing as the flames burned their skin. She breathed, exhausted by the outburst, and looked up at Ben. He shrugged. "Okay, I admit it. I didn't really have a plan."

Mara huffed in annoyance and turned her attention back toward the guards, who struggled helplessly to their feet. They dragged their rifles back to position, but could not find the strength to fire as Mara sent another wall of flame to knock them down. If they survived that blow, they dared not return to their feet. Ben whistled as he unstrapped his rifle. "Nicely done, Princess."

Mara unsheathed her sword as she started toward the warehouse with Aldous. "I would advise you not to pursue acting as a career."

Ben laughed and followed her, shooting an oncoming guard with ease as they stepped into the building. A wave of guards came at them, and they chopped and shot their way through. Aldous, eager to protect his mistress, jumped at an opponent with a vicious snarl, and plunged his teeth into the man's jugular, ripping him apart at the throat. Another soldier, yelling in horror, lifted his rifle to shoot the dog, but Mara jumped at him and jabbed her sword into the man's neck mid-flight, the mere thought of someone harming her dog sending her into a frenzy. Ben gawked as she removed the blade from the man's twitching form, and the warehouse was silent again.

"Damn," he breathed, and he shook his head to bring himself back. "Alright, let's go," he said, leading her out the back door of the warehouse and out into an alleyway. "The docks are just around this corner."

Mara followed Ben through the maze of alleys, and she could smell the salty sea just over the buildings. The sky was clear and the moon lit the way with a brilliant light, and she could see every one of her enemies walking along the docks when they turned the corner.

"There's the boat," Ben whispered, pointing to a small clipper at the dock. Mara watched him as he raised his rifle, and he took a deep breath. With smooth calm he looked down the barrel of his rifle, and shot. She watched in amazement as one of the guards at the dock fell to the ground with a bullet between the eyes. The soldiers around him ducked at the sound of the gunfire, and Mara took the chance to charge, gripping her sword tightly at her side. Aldous barked wildly as he followed her into battle, and she slashed, hacked and chopped her way through the guards. They died with expressions of shock plastered on their faces, as the blue light of her will carried them into darkness.

Mara jumped on top of a guard and snapped his neck with her knees, frenzied by the adrenaline of fighting. As he fell to the ground, she rolled off of him, and sent a ball of fire toward another guard. She didn't see a man jump behind her with a hammer high above his head, and when she turned around in surprise, a shot rang through the air. He stared at her as his eyes glazed over, and blood spilled out of his mouth as he fell to the ground.

A short distance away was Ben, smoke billowing out of the barrel of his rifle, and he winked at Mara before shooting some more.

The fight was easily won, and when they had taken down the last of the guards, Walter burst through the door of the building behind them, huffing for breath.

"Walter!" Ben called, "What took you so long?"

Walter waved them toward the dock as he hurried down the steps. "Quickly, we must go now. They will be following us soon!"

Ben and Mara jumped down to the dock and hurried across the gangplank to the ship, and Walter kicked it away as soon as he was aboard. With a hiss, the steam engine sputtered to life as Ben shoveled coal into the fire, and Mara climbed the mast as the sail was let down to carry them faster away from the city. The full moon lit their way brilliantly as they turned south and began their journey to Aurora.

* * *

_The Light you bring will die. The Light inside you will die. All that you are will die._

_We will snuff out every last light, smother every breath from every mouth, and stop the beating of every heart._

_We are coming. We will devour your kingdom._

* * *

Logan erupted from his sleep, grasping the empty air for breath as he searched the dark room desperately for a flicker of light. He yelped in fright as he could not find it; eyes watched from all over as he scrambled for the candle that had been blown out by the breeze, and with shaking hands, he lit it again. He searched the walls as the light filled room, and every pair of eyes that he knew had been there watching him were extinguished. He wiped sweat from his brow as he rushed to the open door, the billowing curtains enveloping him as he pushed it closed.  
The weary king sighed and returned to his bed. Sleep eluded him even as the sun rose above the city and his subjects emerged from their homes to begin their days, ignorant to the torment their despised monarch had to endure.

* * *

The sea was relatively calm as day came and went. Mara, Walter, and Ben took turns at the helm as Aldous lounged on the deck to enjoy the salty sea air, and they sailed toward Aurora swiftly with the breeze at their back. Walter was sure that, given the current weather, they could make it to Aurora the next day, and as the sun began to set over the horizon he took the wheel from Ben and allowed him to go below deck to rest.

Mara was just waking from a nap when Ben came below, and he leaned against the post that anchored her hammock. "Your dog is going to die from excitement," he said, "I can't get him to come inside."

Mara laughed as she swung herself off the hammock. "He's never been on a ship before. I was expecting him to hate it." She handed him a lamp to light as the sun had long disappeared, and he watched her as she lit her own, the light enveloping her face in a warm glow. Her will lines were faintly visible in the light, and he reached forward to trace one that had crawled beneath her ear. When she looked up at him, he couldn't help himself as he glided his hand to the back of her neck and pulled her into him to kiss her. The excitement of making love to her a few nights before suddenly came flooding back to him, and he kissed her harder, delving his tongue into her mouth and wrapping his other hand around her waist, pressing her into him.

She leaned back to come up for air, but he was persistent, desperately pulling her back into him. "Ben," she muttered against his lips, "Walter is right above us."

"I know," he muttered back, and he lowered his mouth to kiss her neck. "I don't care."

Mara tried to find the strength to reject him, but she just didn't want to. Dizzied by his sudden overwhelming passion, she found herself joining his frantic endeavor to remove her trousers, and when she was finally free from them he pushed her back against the wall and grabbed her behind the knee, hiking her leg up to wrap it around his waist. Her need for him was uncontrollable now, and she jumped up to lock her other leg around him, kissing him more forcefully than before, begging him with her movements to take her again.

The boards beneath them creaked as they worked each other into a breathless frenzy, but they forced themselves to be quiet to prevent any suspicion from the deck. The boat swayed with them, and time slowed as their passion dug deeper and deeper. Mara felt an overwhelming need to scream Ben's name, and as he pushed her further, higher, she brought her head down and bit into his shoulder to silence herself. He grunted at the pain, and it drove him to an exhilaration that he wasn't sure he had ever felt before. He gripped her forcefully as they tipped over the edge together, and he breathed into her ear when she tightened her grip around his shoulders, her legs no longer strong enough to stay around him.

"Mara," He whispered, his labored breath not enough to keep the words from spilling from his lips, "Mara, I love you."

The words shot through her like ice, and she jumped back to look him in the eyes. They were pained, embarrassed, and regretful, as if he was committing a sin by confessing his love to his Princess. It was too late for him to take it back, and he sighed, pulling away from her to lean against a post. She realized that she was half naked, and in a jolt she pulled her pants back up to her waist as she stuttered a response. "You—you do?"

"Dammit," he muttered, staring at the floor. He rubbed his face, absolutely horrified that he had just broken the biggest rule of having affairs. "I'm sorry. It's just—well, since I've met you, Princess, I've found myself to have fallen quite madly in love with you."

Mara fell back against the wall, astonished by his words. Ben was in love with her.

And…did she love him?

He was a very important friend to her, and she lusted after him greatly, it was true, but she couldn't fathom the idea of being in love with him. She had been in love with Elliot, and though the feelings she had for Ben were just as strong—if not stronger—they were still foreign to her, and she didn't know how to handle them. But he—he loved her. For some reason she could not explain, this revelation filled her with incomprehensible joy.

Before she could muster any words, a shout erupted from the deck, startling them. "Ben! Mara, get up here now!"

They exchanged glances and bolted up to the helm to Walter. He pointed frantically to a shadow on the horizon behind them, and Ben took a spyglass from him and examined it. The sight made him gasp; countless Albion flags billowed in the breeze against great white sails, the massive ships below them racing at an alarming speed toward their little clipper.

"Sweet Avo," he breathed, "they've got the entire fleet after us!"

"They're gaining on us," Walter huffed, "Mara, take the wheel. Ben, help me stoke the fires."

The men hurried to the engine as Mara took the helm, praying frantically that they reached Auroran waters before Logan's navy reached them. Their fleet was powered by some divine wind, and every time Mara looked back at them, they were closer, gaining on them with unimaginable speed.

As the ships inched close enough to overtake them, Mara explored the will inside her, easing it to the surface of her skin. She held one hand on the wheel, and reached her other hand behind her. With a mighty roar, she summoned all the will she could muster, and hurled a fire ball at the oncoming ship. She could hear shouts of alarm from the sailors as the sails blistered with flame, and the ship fell back. She worked to find some more fire, but her will reserves were depleted, and she was helpless as another frigate inched up beside them. She shouted for Ben and Walter as the sound of cannons being pushed into place echoed from the vessel, and she let go of the wheel to rush for her rifle. Aldous barked at the enemy ship, and Mara desperately aimed for the cannoneers below deck as Walter and Ben hurried to her.

She was too late. Deafening blasts sent the three diving to the deck, and cannonballs tore through their boat like knives through paper. Unimaginable amounts of rounds were unleashed upon them, and the ship moaned and shook violently against the onslaught. Mara felt the boards jolt beneath her, and she looked up to see Ben staring at her with a chillingly frightened look on his face. In an instant, the boards tore apart with a violent lurch, and Mara reached for his outstretched hand but he was too far away. She fell back with a shout, and in one final blast, she was thrown from the ship and into the cold water.


	9. Chapter 9 - Shadelight

**Hello, readers! I am terribly sorry it has been so long since I last posted, these past few weeks I had huge projects out the expletive. College sucks sometimes. **

**This chapter is kinda short, but I dun care. I'm going to go get some ice cream now. Yay!**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Shadelight**

* * *

The lone figure of a woman floating peacefully through space cast dancing shadows against the moonbeams in the water. She drifted tranquilly with the waves, so unmoving that fish would swim around her, encompassing her in a swarm of life. Her eyes were closed, her lips parted, but no air was there to escape. She was calm, the life within her drifting away with the surf.

A sudden burst of blinding light erupted from her skin, and she jerked violently as it shook her. The fish panicked and rushed away in chaotic flight as she tossed around, the lost life forcing its way back into her. Her lungs burned, searching for air, and the light carried her back to the surface where the moon watched her breathe life into herself again.

* * *

Mara awoke to the sound of seagulls and crashing waves, and the warmth of the sun beaming on her face. A cold tongue brushed across her nose and she opened her eyes to see her loyal companion frantically trying to wake her. Aldous whined with excitement as she stirred, and she combed her fingers through his damp fur as he continued to kiss her face.

"Hello, boy," she muttered, and she squinted her eyes against the bright sun as she tried to take in her surroundings. Her exhausted eyes blurred as the landscape came into view; she was on a sandy beach, and debris from the shipwreck surrounded her. Jutting rocks towered over her from behind, and she could see a sharp cliffside above. She groaned as she pulled herself to her feet, and a voice echoed wearily from across the beach.

"Ben!" the voice called, gravelly and exhausted, "Ben!"

Mara could see Walter trudging through the sand, searching the debris for signs of life. She called to him, and he smiled in relief when he saw her.

"Oh, Princess, thank heavens you're alright!"

She walked to him, glancing over the broken pieces of the ship. "Ben's not here?"

Walter dropped his head. "…No. Looks like…we didn't all make it."

Mara's heart jumped into her throat, and she felt an intense dizziness overcome her as the sun beat down on them. Ben…dead? No, it wasn't possible. Ben was strong, a shipwreck wasn't enough to kill him, she was sure. The thought of him gone frightened her. She had already lost Elliot, if she lost Ben too…

Walter saw the Princess start to panic and shook his head. "No, maybe he washed up somewhere else. I'm sure that's it." Mara nodded, though she was afraid to believe the possibility, and tears formed in her eyes. Walter put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry just yet, Princess. I'm sure he's fine, I was jumping to conclusions. Anyway, for now we need to move forward."

Mara nodded again, and forced herself to follow Walter and Aldous across the beach. They came to the massive mouth of a cavern, and Walter sighed as they looked inside.

"Well, the only way forward seems to be through a rather ominous cave. Perfect." Mara grabbed his hand knowing his fear for caves and beckoned him inside as Aldous curiously led the way. "So this is what Aurora is like. I was hoping it would be less…cavey."

"It will be alright, Walter," Mara assured, "It doesn't look dark in there."

Walter growled with frustration as he looked frantically from the beach to the caverns. He knew they had to go through the cave, but his phobia was just too strong for him to do so with dignity. He took a deep breath and hurled his voice angrily into the air. "BALLS!"

Mara let the echoes of Walter's outcry bounce against the walls of the cave until they dissipated, and began again. Walter unwillingly followed as Aldous hopped ahead, barking at some sleeping bats on the walls above. The caverns narrowed as they went deeper, and the air became cooler.

"Dammit," Walter sighed. "I bet Ben is on some sandy beach somewhere with palm trees, beautiful women, coconut cocktails. Jammy bastard."

Mara snorted at Walter's discomfort, and continued on without a word.

The deeper they went into the caverns, the darker and colder it got. Mara could see remnants of stone architecture lining the walls, and the further they went, the more the cave seemed to become an ancient temple. Walter groaned when the light was finally depleted, and a long, black corridor lay before them. Aldous barked behind them, and they turned to see that the dog had found a torch.

"You little genius!" Walter exclaimed, swiping the torch and lighting it in a hurry. "Good boy, good boy!" He sighed with relief as they were engulfed in a circle of light. "Ah, that's better."

As they walked, Walter swung the torch around to examine the corridor. Tall stone pillars with strange markings lined the walls, and odd sculptures that resembled large, deformed birds stood at attention every few steps. "What do you suppose this place is?" Walter mused, "A temple of some sort? What could anyone possibly worship in here?"

They wandered further, the light casting ominous shadows on the walls as they moved. Mara felt an inexplicable sense of dread the further they went, but she hid any discomfort from Walter as she knew he had a fear for dark places. The corridor was so silent, not even the sound of their breathing was audible. Aldous whined suddenly and backed into Mara, and she looked down to see the dog with his tail tucked tightly between his legs. The sense of dread was then too strong to hide, and she looked back up, unable to blink, searching for whatever it was that had frightened her dog.

A sudden rush of wind sent her reeling, but her bones stiffened and her blood turned cold when a low voice rumbled through her head.

_The Light you bring will die. The Light inside you will die._

Walter swung the torch wildly around. "Who—who's there?!" Mara gulped as her heart pounded so hard that she was sure it would tear right through her chest.

_Everything that you are will die._

Mara had never felt fear like this before. She was paralyzed with terror. When the voice faded, hundreds of pairs of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, and she blinked to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"This isn't good," Walter muttered. The voice laughed, a dreadful, blood-curdling sound that roared through the air and rumbled the stones.

_The Children are here to play._

In an instant, the eyes took form. Dark, ghostly apparitions that seemed to appear as human but no more than shadows. They charged Mara, and she unsheathed her sword and swung it furiously around, though it met nothing. The shadows disappeared in the air when she hit them, and though she did not feel any pain when they attacked her, she felt as if her very life force was being sucked away.

Mara shouted as the voice laughed again. What were these creatures? What kind of hellish magic was this?

Almost as soon as the fight began, it ended. Mara's breath turned into whimpers as she and Walter pressed forward, praying that this was nothing more than a nightmare. Soon, she would wake, and Ben's arms would be around her to comfort her.

_You are tainted. The stain will never wash out. The sun will never shine upon you again. Tainted, broken little toys._

"We're alright," Walter muttered. "We just need to go forward, that's all. We're going to be al—alright."

They inched forward, every shadow an enemy to their sanity. Mara could feel tears welling in her eyes as she accepted this fear that she never knew was possible._ Ben_, she prayed, _Elliot. I'm afraid._

They came to the end of the corridor and saw a large triangular doorway before them. Aldous ran and cowered behind Mara, trembling with terror. Walter stepped cautiously in front of the doorway, and as soon as he did, a mighty wind burst through the opening, knocking him to his feet and extinguishing the torch.

"No!" he bellowed, "Not the light! Not the bloody light!"

Mara saw sparks fly from his flint as he desperately tried to reignite the flame. "Come on, come on!" He cried, his hands shaking as he tried again and again. Finally, the flame took, and he sighed with relief as the torch was alight again. Walter rose, and turned to Mara, the light illuminating her petrified face. She was looking past him, her eyes locked on something just beyond him, and she was frozen with fear. Walter swung the torch around, and what he found himself face to face with sent a wave of paralyzing dread through his veins.

It was hideous. It was huge. It towered above even Walter, and its head featured three tentacled faces, all of its cold eyes set on the frozen knight. It breathed huskily, raising a sharp clawed hand to Walter's face, and opened its mouth.

_The light in your eyes offends us. Let it go out!_

Walter cried out in pain as the creature grabbed his head, and in an instant disappeared. Mara jumped to him as he fell to his knees, holding his face in his hands.

_You shall be sightless, for that is the most blessed state of being. It is our gift to you._

Walter's hands fell limply to his side as Mara grabbed him by the shoulders. She gasped at the sight of his face; black bruises surrounded his eyes, and they were crusted over with a dark sludge. He moaned desperately, shaking with panic. "It—It's blinded me, Mara! I can't see!"

Aldous yelped as the voice let out another chilling laugh. Mara looked around frantically as Walter groaned in desperation. Whatever this thing was, it wanted them dead.

A rumble rippled over the ground, and Mara rose cautiously to her feet.

_Petals, falling into the river. You are the flowers the children will pick and cast into dead water._

Mara took a step forward, and she could see a hundred more pairs of glowing eyes open in the darkness, and their shadowy forms danced tauntingly beyond the reach of the torch's light. She conjured a fireball, and hurled it toward them. In the light of the flame, she saw a statue, a tall hooded figure wielding a hammer, wings sprouting out of its back. It stood like a sentinel, ready to attack, and as the dark shadows dodged her flame, they gathered around it and disappeared. A mighty red glow emerged from the statue's eyes, and with a crack, it jerked to life.

_The children hide in their shells. They have bodies now. Bodies can tear you asunder!_

The sentinel jerked forward, crunching the ground beneath its massive stone feet. Mara frantically unsheathed her sword, unsure how she was supposed to fight this adversary. It moved like a machine, powered by the shadows, the "children." As she hurried to assess her opponent, it lifted its mighty hammer above its head and brought it down to the ground in front of it, the resulting quake sending Mara to her knees. The ground cracked beneath the hammer that now shone with a blinding light, and the fracture reached toward her, releasing a blackness that engulfed her before she could scramble to her feet. In an instant, the blackness took form, and a swarm of ravens flew around her, pecking and biting at her with beaks that stung like fire. Mara screamed and covered herself with her arms, and as soon as they had appeared, they were gone.

_Did the blind seer not tell you about us? Did she not warn you?_

The sentinel raised its hammer again, and Mara jumped to her feet, sending a fireball at it before it could bring the weapon down again. The creature fell back at the force, and Mara unstrapped her rifle from her back to pound it with bullets as it was down.

_You've brought hurt! The children are angry!_

With a mighty rumble, the sentinel rose to its feet, and swung its hammer around. Mara rolled to dodge the attack, and sent another fire ball toward it, using the time it took for it to recover to reload her rifle.

_Darkness will swallow you whole!_

"SHUT UP!" Mara screamed, and she felt the power of the will inside her flow through her veins and out her fingertips, enveloping her rifle. The weapon shone brightly like her will lines, and the sheer power she felt surge through her made her shout in rage. She fired, and the bullet left a blazing trail through the air as it pierced the sentinel's head, and it shattered to pieces.

The resulting silence was almost as terrifying as the battle had been.

Mara took a moment to gather her bearings before she turned and rushed back to Walter. Aldous crouched next to him, whimpering as he writhed in desperation. The sludge was gone, but his eyes were sunken into deep black circles.

"Walter?" She asked, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"Mara," he choked, searching for her with his hands. "Mara, I can't see. It's so dark. Please, take me to the light."

She nodded, though he couldn't see her, and she pulled him to his feet, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to support him. They walked, his labored breath echoing throughout the tunnels, and his hand outstretched helplessly before him.

They wandered aimlessly for what seemed like hours before Mara saw what she thought was a light. Aldous barked and ran ahead, and Mara pulled Walter forward toward the gleam. Her heart leaped when she saw that it was indeed a light, and she watched with joy as it got bigger and bigger with their approach. As they neared, she could see that it was an opening to the outside, and the sunlight was spilling into the chamber.

"Almost there, Walter," she assured, "We're almost there."

The warm sun bathed them with hope as they emerged from the hellish temple, and Mara squinted against the light.

"Are we out? Did we get away?" Walter breathed.

"Yes, we're safe now." Mara answered, but she wasn't sure of the fact. As the sun's beams showed her the world in front of her, her heart sank once more. Stretched out before her, stretching for miles and miles, was an endless desert, dotted with jutting cliffs but no signs of civilization.

Walter coughed as the wind blew sand into their faces, stinging them as they continued down a long stretch of stone steps. Mara knew that they had no choice but to carry on into the desert, though she had no way of knowing which way to go. The paralyzing fear she had experienced in the temple was far behind her, and before her stretched an endless expanse of desperation.

* * *

Hours had passed since they began their journey across the desert. Mara turned back and saw that the temple was no longer in sight, and a wave of relief overcame her exhausted body. The sun was beating down mercilessly on them, and her clothes were drenched with sweat. Aldous panted so deeply that his tongue nearly dragged on the sand below him.

Walter groaned and fell to his knees, and Mara tried desperately to bring him back to his feet. "Come on, Walter, we must keep going!"

The old knight panted, hardly able to form coherent words as his strength depleted. "I can't…I…I can't."

Mara pushed past her own exhaustion to pull at him, but he couldn't move. "Walter, I will not leave you here."

"You have to," he protested weakly, without the strength to even lift his head. Mara looked into his eyes though she knew he could not see her, his face covered in a black darkness that blinded him still. "It's alright," he whispered, letting his arm fall from her shoulders. "It's going to be alright, my girl. I know you'll do me proud."

Mara jumped to her feet, determined to save her knight. "I'll come back for you, I promise. I'll go find help!" She used the strength she knew she didn't have to sprint further into the desert, with Aldous following dutifully beside.

_Ben, Elliot…Father,_ she prayed as her legs protested angrily against her steps. _Give me strength._


	10. Chapter 10 - Shifting Sands

**Thanks for the follows and favorites! It's been a stressful week, and every now and then I get an email saying that someone new is following my derpy little story. Makes me smile :)**

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Shifting Sands**

* * *

Was it night? It was dark, but the heat of the sun's rays was still biting into Mara's face. She could see where the sun would be, but it was as if nighttime had come before it had even set.

She pressed further, climbing over the endless sea of sand dunes, the very life within her draining with each step.

_You left your friend to die._

"No," Mara growled, refusing to let the voice back into her mind. She had left it at the temple. She was hallucinating in the heat.

_He is calling for you, while the Children spread his heart out to the sky!_

"NO!" She screamed at an image of Walter that now stood before her. The voice wanted to drive her mad. This was nothing more than a mirage.

She would find help soon, and Walter would be saved.

The shadows danced around her, and she waved her sword frantically to fight them off. When they disappeared, she ran, ignoring the painful screams of the fake Walter behind her.

_You try to run away, but you are made of sand. You are falling apart between our fingers._

Another apparition appeared in front of her, and it reached its hands out for her help, begging her with its blinded eyes. Mara growled and sliced the ghost in two, and it disintegrated like sand into the wind.

_He would have done anything for you, and now he screams alone!_

Mara fought to run again, shielding her face from the shadows that hounded her.

_He bleeds light and fades away. You should see it, it is a beautiful sight._

Mara lifted her head and wailed at the sight of Elliot, who stood naked before her, beaten, cut and bruised, and begging for her to save him from the darkness. "Mara, my love," he cried, his voice howling with the wind, "Save me! I don't want to die!"

_You have done terrible things._

"NO!" She shrieked, dropping her sword and falling to her knees. She clutched her head tightly and shut her eyes, refusing to listen to any more.

"Mara, why didn't you save me?" Elliot's voice was pleading, soft, full of love. "Why did you kill me?"

Mara shook her head, squeezing her eyes tighter. This wasn't real. It was trying to turn her against herself.

_You will rule over the graveyard. Is this what you wanted?_

The wind, the voice, Elliot, Walter, the sand, the shadows; all of it swarmed around her, pushing her into the dune until she could no longer move.

She would die here, at the hands of a hallucination. She wailed once more as the weight of her life lifted away from her, and she could feel the light being sucked out of her very soul.

_ARE YOU BLIND? ARE YOU BLIND YET?_

Darkness.

* * *

"Don't worry, she's still alive. The other one cannot be far behind."

The voice was the deep, soothing voice of a woman. It was unfamiliar, but calming against the harsh howl of the wind.

"Will she be alright?"

Mara knew this second voice. Her heart could have burst with joy when she heard it, and she could have died of relief knowing that the man who it belonged to was alive after all. She could see his face though she could not find the strength to open her eyes as she drifted in and out of consciousness: his sandy hair, his blue eyes, his round chin and strong jaw. She wanted to speak to him, but her strength was depleted.

"She will be fine. We must find the other one before dark."

_No. No more darkness, please,_ she cried out in her mind._ Let me stay in the light._

She felt a pair of strong arms lift her from the sand and hold her tightly, lovingly, before she strayed back into sleep.

* * *

Mara opened her eyes, and groaned when she did not find herself in her own bed. She was lying on a mat in a cold, dark room lit with candles and lamps; the stone walls that surrounded her sported swirling designs that led her to believe she was again in some kind of temple, but the warm blanket that was covering her told her she was no longer in danger.

A woman with a shaved head and a striking face leaned into her view, and she smiled when Mara blinked at the sight. She had soft, kind eyes, and had bright blue tattoos that swirled over her cheeks and down her chest. For a moment, Mara thought they were will lines, but in the dim light she could see they were just ink designs.

"Hello, Princess Mara of Albion. I am Kalin, and you are in the City of Aurora."

"Aurora?" Mara groaned, her throat stinging against her hoarse voice. "How did I—?"

The woman called Kalin adjusted the blanket over Mara to ensure that she was comfortable. "We found you close to death in Shifting Sands. But you are safe now."

Mara gasped and tried to jump upright, but her strength was not enough to support her, and she fell back onto the mat. "Walter? What about Walter?"

"Shh," Kalin patted her shoulder gently, "if you mean your large companion, he is alive. He's here, and we are working to make him well again. Your dog is well, too. He has been napping all day."

Mara sighed in relief at the news. Walter was alive, thank Avo. "What about—is there another of my companions here? I could have sworn I saw—"

"A handsome young soldier by the name of Ben Finn?" A voice interrupted from across the room, and Mara turned her head to see Ben leaning against the doorway. He smiled and pushed himself off the wall when she looked at him, and he walked to her side and leaned over her. "Not dead yet, love."

Mara raised her hand to touch his face, and he raised his own hand to keep it there. She smiled at the warmth of his touch, and he turned his head to kiss her palm. "You bastard," she whispered, "You scared me to death."

"I have a tendency to do that, don't I?" The skin around his blue eyes wrinkled in the normal, charming way as he smiled, and the sight sent Mara's heart leaping. "But you gave me quite a scare yourself. Taking a nap in the middle of the desert, just like royalty."

"I'm sorry," Mara sighed, and she turned to Kalin. "Thank you for saving my life."

The woman shook her head. "Do not thank me, Princess. It was your friend here who did the saving. I only helped show him the way." She sighed, and Mara saw a look of sadness cover her face. "I do not envy what you had to experience. We found you near Shadelight, therefore, you must have met the Crawler."

"The Crawler?" Mara shivered, and her mind flashed to the events in the temple. "Is that what that thing is called?" Tears welled in her eyes that she could not stop, and the memories of the darkness flooded through her mind, making her gasp in fright. She covered her eyes with her hands and wailed loudly as she recalled all that she had seen. The darkness, the shadows…the Crawler.

Ben put his arms around her and pulled her up into a sitting position, holding her tightly against him. "Mara, it's alright. You're safe now, love. You're safe."

Mara sobbed into his chest and shook her head. She knew that she would never forget it, that it would haunt her nightmares possibly for the rest of her life. That evil creature, the incarnation of darkness itself that fed on the very light inside of her, that rejoiced in her suffering as it reminded her of her own dark sins.

"Ben," she cried, and she looked helplessly up at him, searching for relief. "I didn't kill Elliot."

Ben could not hide the confusion on his face, but he knew that whatever she had been through had been too traumatizing to question. "I know, love."

"I didn't kill him," she said again, clutching his shirt as if trying to convince him, or herself. Ben pulled her back into him and held her head against his shoulder as she cried into his neck. "You didn't kill him," he whispered, "You didn't kill him."

Mara cried until she was dry of tears, for what seemed like hours, but Ben was patient and rubbed her back gently until she was done. She could feel that his shirt was wet where her face was resting, soaked in her tears, but he didn't seem to mind. His embrace calmed her, and she could feel his warmth seeping into her as her fear melted away again. Her head fit perfectly on his shoulder, nestled into his neck, and she sighed in relief as she regained her composure.

Kalin waited for her to calm down before speaking again. "This is what the Crawler does. It fills your mind with darkness, seeps into your soul and uses your own weaknesses against you. It will not stop until every bit of life is sucked away."

Mara lifted her head from Ben's shoulder to look at the woman, and she could feel that her eyes were swollen. "Have you met the Crawler before?"

Kalin took a deep breath, and nodded sadly. "If you don't mind coming with me, Princess, I have something I would like to show you."

* * *

The city was dark, desolate and seemed deserted, as there was next to no one in the streets. A tense air flowed throughout the clay houses, as if the people were afraid to even leave their homes. Clothes that hung on lines between the dwellings were tattered from the wind, as though they had been neglected, their owners afraid to even step outside to collect them. A man wandered the streets, sadly chanting a prayer as he passed each home. Mara's heart sank at the sight that Kalin showed her, and if it hadn't been for Ben's arm around her waist to support her, she might have fallen to her knees.

"What happened here?" She breathed, and Kalin's tan robes flowed in the breeze as she looked out over her fallen city.

"The Crawler," she answered. "It came and attacked us in the night with its army of shadows, killing everyone who could not protect themselves. We were caught off guard, and suffered many, many losses. Women, children, entire families wiped out by the darkness. My own father, the leader of Aurora, was taken."

"I'm so sorry, Kalin," Ben whispered, gripping Mara tighter around her waist. She clutched his shirt to steady herself, knowing the fear these people were experiencing.

Kalin shook her head sadly. "That was five years ago, and still we are forced to live in fear. We do not know when the Crawler will come next, who it will take. We had asked for Albion's help, but none was given to us. So all we can do is wait for the end."

Mara frowned. "You asked Albion for help? I never heard of such a thing."

"I doubt anyone did," Ben replied.

"Three years ago," Kalin explained, "after the Crawler hurled our city into darkness, we sent a plea to Albion for aid. The King himself visited the city, and promised us his support."

"Logan did?" Mara asked, amazed. She remembered Logan having visited Aurora about five years prior, and it was after his return that he began to change into the tyrant he was.

Kalin nodded. "King Logan was a kind young man. He mourned with us over the loss of our families, and he went with an army to Shadelight. It was there that he met the Crawler."

Logan had met the Crawler? Mara felt dizzy when she heard this. Was it because of his encounter that he had changed?

"The army of shadows killed every one of his men, and Logan returned alone. He returned to Albion without a word, and we never heard anything from him after that." Kalin looked at Mara, and waited for her to understand.

Everything was falling into place in Mara's mind. Logan had met the Crawler, and something about this encounter drove him to madness. She felt a sense of pity and sympathy for her brother for the first time, knowing how he must have suffered at the hands of the Darkness. It was now more than ever that she felt the need to relieve him of his duties as King, and save him from himself.

"Kalin," she said, a new strength brewing inside of her, "I am not like my brother." She turned to look the woman in the eyes. "I ask for your people to help me to remove him from the throne of Albion. When we succeed, I will keep the promises Logan did not."

The Auroran leader smiled brightly, a beautiful sight, and pulled Mara into an embrace. "Thank you, Princess." She leaned back after a moment, and Ben regained his hold around Mara's waist. "I pledge to you an ally in Aurora. We still have a strong navy, and we will proudly fight for you."

Ben sighed in relief and hugged Mara, who couldn't help but smile. She had survived the Crawler's Darkness, and now the revolution seemed like nothing more than a simple task. For the first time, she yearned to have the crown on her head, so that she could finally bring change to the worn-out world.


	11. Chapter 11 - Eve of Battle

**So, this week is dead week. Who came up with that term? See, I've always thought people were referring to it as being "dead" because of all the social activity that is not being had, being replaced by homework and study. For the first time in my four years at college I finally understand that the "dead" does not refer to the week itself, but the people in it.**

**For we are all DEAD. Least, that's how I feel, anyway. I feel like I'm dying. **

**Which could be an overstatement, but my body seems to be overreacting to a lot of things lately. I personally am not a hypochondriac, buy my body seems to be.  
**

**Speaking of which, freaking allergies. If Texas could make up its GODDAMN MIND about what weather it wants to partake in, I would not be suffering so. I have been literally crying tears of fire. Fire tears. In my eyes.**

**Anywho, thanks for the wonderful reviews! It makes me happy during all this craziness that someone out there is enjoying my story! I have some more planned for this, and I've started working on something for Mirror's Edge. And OF COURSE I've been planning something for my beloved Jak and Daxter! But not until we finish our adventure in Albion!**

**ONWARD, WARRIORS!**

**(By the way, this chapter is short. Sorry, my lovelies.)**

**ONWARD SOME MORE!**

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Eve of Battle**

* * *

They stayed in Aurora for a few days while Walter recovered, and the Auroran docks were busy with activity as the navy prepared to leave for Albion as soon as the knight was well again. The temple priestess had spent countless hours hovering over Walter, working to restore his eyesight. Karin assured Mara that in a few days he would be back to normal, though she couldn't help but worry that he hadn't woken up yet.

Ben was very protective of Mara after her ordeal, and though he knew they were not in danger with the Aurorans, he refused to let her out of his sight. He slept in a bedroll beside hers, he walked closely next to her, and even when she bathed he sat outside the door, much resembling Aldous in his patrol. Mara laughed at him one night as he settled into his bedroll on the ground next to hers, and he looked up at her in confusion. "What?"

"Nothing," she chuckled, "I just thought you reminded me of Aldous just now."

Ben exchanged glances with the dog, who had his head resting on his lap. He then wondered when it was that the animal actually started to like him.

"How so? I don't look anything like him."

Mara laughed. "Not like that! I mean the way you lay down. You sort of went in circles for a moment. I almost expect you to growl every time someone knocks on the door."

Ben huffed and dropped his head on his pillow. "Well, excuse me for wanting to keep you safe."

"You don't have to worry so much, you know," Mara said after a moment, and Ben turned to look at her. "I'm fine now." He looked at her for a moment, and reached his hand out to stroke her cheek. "Can you blame me for worrying?" He asked.

Mara leaned into his hand, imagining what would have happened if he had died in the shipwreck. He would not have found her in the desert, and she would not have survived the Crawler's temple. She would not have gained Kalin's support, and the revolution would probably be over. He would not be laying next to her right now. That thought alone frightened her and sent a wave of panic through her blood, and the thought of losing him, she realized, was stronger than her guilt for Elliot. Mara began to believe that she was in love with this man.

That thought frightened her even more. If she was in love with Ben, would he be cursed to the same fate as Elliot? What dangers would be presented to him now that he was the object of the future queen's affections? The last thing she wanted was to put him in danger, but here, in this moment as he looked into her eyes, she couldn't fathom loving anyone else.

_I'm sorry, Elliot_, she prayed, _I've fallen in love._

Mara scooted to be closer to him and rested her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her. She slept soundly that night, with no nightmares daring to come near as her protector shielded her with his warmth.

* * *

The sun, though dampened by the Crawler's affect on Aurora, was still bright enough to send Walter's head spinning as Mara and Ben led him out of the temple.

"Hopping hobbes!" He growled, "that bloody hurts!"

Ben laughed and nudged Walter's arm. "You've been asleep for days, Walter, of course it hurts! Just wait till we're on our way, I think the sea air is just the thing for you."

Walter groaned at the thought, but followed them to the docks anyway, where Karin was waiting on a boat. "Are you ready to push off?" she asked happily, and smiled sympathetically as Walter squinted against the sun. "You can rest in the cabin if you'd like. We'll be leaving shortly."

Mara ordered Walter with her eyes to do as Karin suggested, and without a word, he reluctantly hobbled into the cabin to rest. She tried not to smile at his stubbornness, but felt it inch across her mouth anyway. She looked up at Ben, who was also smiling, and he winked at her as they turned to join Karin at the helm. She was showing a map to a group of sailors, pointing as she spoke quickly in her native tongue. When Mara and Ben stepped up to her, she happily waved them into the group.

"Ah, Princess, Captain Finn," she said, gesturing to a burly man next to her, "this is Shaheen, the captain of our navy flagship." The man bowed deeply, and Mara could see that there was hardly a spot on his body left untouched by tattoos. They were the same design as Karin's, though differing in some measures, and Mara noticed that every Auroran on board sported some variation of the same pattern on their skin.

The man spoke, his voice low and husky, and his accent very strong though he spoke her language almost flawlessly. "Greetings, Princess Mara of Aurora. Captain Finn. I am Shaheen, and I am honored to have you aboard my ship."

"I thank you for your help," Mara said, and the man smiled, showing a mouth with gaps where teeth used to be. "I presume Karin has informed you of our plans?"

"We were just going over them, Princess," Karin explained, and she went back to the map, this time continuing in Mara's language so that she could listen. "We will aim to the east of Driftwood, and wait there for Princess Mara to receive word from her allies in Albion. Once we have word that they are prepared, we will sail west to Bowerstone Old Quarter, where we will strike."

"By that time, Logan's elite will surely be waiting for us," Ben added, "it won't be an easy fight."

"No," Shaheen said, "but it will be a fight we win."

The sailors scurried across the docks, making final preparations for the fleet to depart. Mara's heart leaped when she felt the ship begin to move, and she leaned on the side of the deck, watching as the shore drifted further and further away. She studied the land for a bit, and she shivered when she remembered the events of Shadelight. But that was behind her now, and she took a deep breath as she felt Ben's arms wrap around her waist. She had no more reason to fear the Crawler, and with Ben by her side, she knew she would have no reason to fear anything that lay before her.

* * *

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Logan looked up from his papers to see one of his guards rushing through the doors of his war room, and he leaned his head on his hand as the man huffed for breath. "What is it, soldier? Spit it out or leave my presence."

"Your Majesty, a whole fleet of warships have been spotted in the South Sea just off the Albion coast! They look to be Auroran ships."

Logan's head shot up at the word. "Auroran?" He felt his blood run cold as he stood, and he looked out the window out onto the castle courtyard, which was being bathed in the warm dusk sunlight. "It can't be," he whispered, and he turned again to the soldier, who jumped to attention when

Logan's sharp eyes met his. "Fetch me General Wilcox. Tell the Guard to prepare for battle."

"Yes, sir," the man said. He saluted the king and swiftly turned on his heel to leave.

Logan sighed and again looked out the window. An image of his beautiful sister crossed his mind, and he sat back in his chair. "So," he whispered, "I suppose my time is coming soon."

* * *

"En guarde!"

Mara giggled uncontrollably as she watched Elliot and Logan spar in the gardens with their rather sad looking wooden swords. Logan had just hit a growth spurt, and he towered over Elliot as he fought him. Elliot swatted at the giant wildly until his sword was flung to the side, and Logan jabbed his weapon into the boy's side, securing it between his arm and torso.

"I've got you, Sir Elliot!" Logan proclaimed with a mighty laugh. "You should have known better than to go against the great Logan of Albion!"

Elliot fell to his knees dramatically and threw his hands to the sky. "Woe is me, I am bested!" His death scene was overly theatrical, and Mara laughed as he gasped and choked with hardly a convincing act before he fell stiffly to the ground.

"No!" she cried, and playfully jumped on her brother's back. "You will pay for killing the great Sir Elliot!"

Logan snatched her and pinned her to the ground, and she screamed as he tickled her. Elliot jumped to his feet and rushed to her to free her, but decided instead to join in her torture. Her stomach ached as she laughed and desperately tried to fight her assailants.

"Master Logan!" A voice called from across the gardens, and the children stopped to see who had called. Logan stood and wiped the dirt off his pants as Jasper, their butler, hurried to them with a concerned look on his face.

"Jasper," Logan said as the man huffed for breath. "What's the matter? What's happened?"

"It's the King," Jasper gasped, his face painted with worry. "Your father. I'm afraid he hasn't much time left." The man straightened himself and motioned for Logan to follow. "He's called for you, Master Logan. We are to prepare for your coronation immediately."

Mara jumped to her feet and grabbed Jasper's jacket, unable to control the volume of her voice. "What do you mean, Jasper? Father is just ill, he told me he would be fine after a few days' rest!"

A gentle hand was placed on her shoulder and she looked up to see her brother, his face full of fear, but stern. He didn't have to say anything; Mara felt the sting of tears filling her eyes, and she looked helplessly from Logan to Jasper. They had already lost their mother, why did their Father have to die too? She fell to the ground and sobbed at her helplessness, and Elliot knelt next to her to comfort her as Logan followed Jasper into the Castle.

* * *

The moon was full as the Auroran ships lined the Albion coast. Mara shivered against the breeze as the boat glided over the calm waves, and she could see glints of light on the coast as Logan's soldiers hastily pulled together their defenses.

"Alright, I've got it." Page slapped her palm against the map they had set out on a makeshift table as the others gathered around her. Kalin, Shaheen, Ben and Walter were now joined by Sabine and his towering companion, Boulder. The fiery little man was eager to start the fight, and he jumped with excitement as Page waved her hand over the map. "I will take a small group of soldiers down this route and blow up the west barracks. It will draw their attention and open up the main route."

Ben crossed his arms. "How is that better than my idea?"

"Hush, boy!" Sabine pounded his staff against the deck. "What I want te know is what my men will need te do."

Walter nodded. "That is for the future queen to decide."

Mara felt a rush of fear and excitement when she realized that Walter was referring to her with that term. The future queen. This was it; now was the deciding factor for her campaign. If all went according to plan, she would be sitting in Logan's throne by the morning.

"Page knows the city best," she said, astounded by the amount of authority in her own voice, "we will follow her plan."

Shaheen pointed a large finger to the map. "My ships can drop you off at this beach. We will cover you from the water."

"You can expect heavy mortar fire," Walter commented, "but Logan's men should be distracted by Page's group."

Sabine hopped as animatedly as his old knees could allow him. "I want te be in the thick of the smoke and the fire and glory! If Page takes the west route, it is only fair that I take the east."

"Which leaves the center for us," Ben nudged Mara with his elbow. "Less chance of getting lost!" Mara smiled when he winked at her, and knowing that he would be fighting by her side filled her with a new courage that she was eager to act upon. She turned to Walter and gave him a stern look.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Walter?"

Walter smiled mischievously underneath his bushy mustache and straightened himself. "Oh, don't worry about me. I may look old and tired, but the day hasn't come yet when I can't charge into a good old-fashioned fight!"

"Good man!" Sabine reached up as high as he could and clapped Walter on the shoulder. "We may be old, but we are fierce!"

Mara felt Ben slip his hand over hers, and she turned to look at him as the others were distracted with the two old warriors. Ben grinned and squeezed her hand. "Are you ready?"

The Princess took a deep breath, and nodded. With her loyal companions by her side, there was no way she could fail, she knew it.


	12. Chapter 12 - Battle for Bowerstone

**Ugh. Sorry about the wait. I've been trying to make this chapter longer, but for some reason my brain is having a hard time stretching out the battle. So, I apologize, but this battle scene may not be as long as one might expect. I expect a massive rewrite is in store in the future times.**

**Speaking of rewrites, I happened upon a mistake in an earlier chapter. Not anything too big; Ben finishes his ale, then takes another swig...after I said he had finished it. Eh, until I fix it, let's assume its MAGIC ALE! yay.**

**BY THE WAY: I added a place called the Fairfax District, which is that magical place that we see in all the cutscenes surrounding the castle, but we can't really get to in the game. I mean, Bowerstone is a big place, and we don't get to see all of it when we're playing.**

**Now I'm off to an audition! Til next chapter, wonderful peoples! :) I love all of you.**

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**Battle For Bowerstone**

* * *

"So have you heard the one about the man who went through a Balverine forest and messed up his trousers?"

The crowd that stood before the boy on the makeshift stage chuckled at the premise of the joke, and a collective "no" rumbled through the audience, sending a bright smile streaking across his face.

"He said 'with fiends like these, who needs enemas?'"

The crowd burst into howling laughter, and the blond haired boy danced a jig and made a face to finish his joke, which sent the people into crippling hysterics. The citizens of Gunk were so easily amused, and the more revolting and foul the humor, the more they would laugh.

He could see the blond heads of his older brothers snaking through the crowd, and one of them looked up at him with a wide smile. He gave the boy a thumbs up, and snatched a coin purse from the pocket of the man standing beside him, who was too overcome with laughter to notice. The boy beamed, proud that he was able to help his brothers in their scheme, and danced some more.

"Hey, you!" a roaring voice bellowed from behind the crowd. The boy looked up to see one of the city guards pushing his way angrily through the crowd. He glanced at the boy before snatching one of his brothers by the shirt collar, yanking him away as he rifled through the pockets of an unknowing woman. "What in the name of—" The guard's face seethed with anger as the thief smiled innocently. "Hey! I know you! You're that Finn boy!"

The boy watched as his brother stomped on the guard's foot with all his might, and bolted away from the crowd, waving for the others to follow. "Come on, Ben!" They shouted, and he happily fled the scene with his brothers and their profits as the guard hopped around like a fool nursing his swollen foot.

* * *

Ben whirled around with his sword raised, though he knew that he was too late. The guard that had side stepped him would have a bullet through his head in a second.

He flinched at the sound of a gunshot, though to his surprise, he felt no bullet tear through his body. As the guard fell limply to the ground, Ben saw the smoking barrel of Mara's glowing blue rifle aimed at where the man was standing. Ben let out his breath in a puff, and Mara winked at him before turning the rifle over and firing a shot over her shoulder at another oncoming guard.

"That's my girl!" he shouted, and a new wave of excitement rushed through him as she found her way back to his side.

It was thrilling. Fighting next to Mara was simply exhilarating. She cut so easily through the fight, tearing down her enemies like they were nothing more than flies that needed to be swatted. She strode through the battle with the noblest of airs, hardly sparing a bead of sweat for her adversaries. Though they worked brilliantly as a team, Ben would never get used to fighting beside her. She was just so stunning.

The battered soldiers and revolutionaries were more than eager to slash through Logan's guards as well. As Mara led Ben and Walter through the center of the Old Quarter, they were met by Page's men from the west, and Sabine's mountain dwellers from the east. From what they could see, neither group had suffered much loss.

The air was filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder lingered on their noses as they pressed through the Old Quarter toward the Fairfax district, where the nobles were holed up in their mansions against the castle walls. The gate was barred shut, and Page and Karin found their way to the group as they contemplated how to get past.

"They've blocked it from the other side," Walter yelled, kicking the gates. "We need explosives."

"I already used all of mine," Page sighed, and Ben crossed his arms.

"Well," he said, "if only we knew a crazy old man who loved to blow things up."

As if on cue, a massive blast sent the doors flying through the air, and the group knelt to shield themselves from the fire and splinters that were cast their way. Out of the smoke, Sabine's tiny figure emerged with a mighty grin on his face, and his trusty mountain of a companion, Boulder, followed with a similarly amused expression.

"Ach!" Sabine shouted, pounding his staff against the cobblestones, "Don't ya just love the smell of gunpowder in the mornin'!"

Mara spared no time to greet Sabine as she hurried through the gates with Walter. Ben followed, sending a quick salute to the old man, and they continued up the hill toward the castle. Ben could see the fierce determination in Mara's eyes as she ran. They didn't even have to fight anymore; the revolutionaries ran past them and took down any oncoming guards that were headed toward Mara before she could get to them. She only had one thing on her mind now, and Ben could see it clear as day as she forged a path up the castle steps, through the massive doors, and onward to the war room where Logan was watching from the windows.

With a great yell and a flourish of blue light, Mara kicked the doors open and marched into the room.

* * *

It was time. Logan knew it, and he waited patiently for the doors to his war room to be forced open and a multitude of rifles aimed at him.

"Logan." A young voice stated plainly, but with great authority, "it is time for you to surrender. You are bested."

The weary young king turned around, and his eyes were filled with an intense sadness upon seeing the great warrior of a a woman in front of him, and he recognized this woman to be his dearest little sister. She was taller now, and stronger in expression and physique. She looked upon him with contempt, and he smiled sadly, knowing that the day he dreaded had finally come.

"Mara," he said, "you finally became the woman I always knew you were meant to be."

He could see a troubled expression cross his sister's face, and she shook her head. "Don't give me that, Logan," she said between her teeth, "I have come to make you pay for your crimes."

A sandy haired soldier pushed past Mara and drew his rifle, pointing it at the king with his jaw clenched. "Shall I kill him, Princess?"

"Stop, Ben," barked the familiar voice of Sir Walter, and the man stepped toward Logan. "Your Majesty, your kingdom has been overrun. We ask that you come quietly to the dungeon and await your trial."

The soldier growled in anger. "Now is not the time for civility, Walter! We should kill him here, now! He's a bloody murderer!" He gripped his gun angrily as the others made no move to kill him. "Death is the only end fitting for a tyrant!"

Logan stepped forward, paying no attention to the rifle aimed at him, instead turning toward his sister. "Did it ever occur to you that I have good reason to be?"

"Enough," Mara muttered, and turned away, motioning for Walter to take him to the dungeon. "We will speak at your trial."

Logan watched as his sister strode from the room, and the soldier angrily let his rifle fall to his side as he turned to leave with the princess. Walter took Logan by the arm and began to drag him to his confinement. "Please, hurry Walter," the fallen king muttered, "I am very tired."

* * *

"Well that was ridiculously easy," Mara sighed, leaning back against the sofa, relieved to be surrounded by the familiar walls of her father's study. "And stop pacing, Ben. I know you're upset, but do calm down a bit."

Ben pinched the bridge of his nose to calm himself. "I know you mean well, with the trial and everything, but it would have saved us so much time to just kill him there!"

Mara felt her breath catch in her throat, and she couldn't find any words as Ben continued to pace. "I mean, he's going to be executed anyway, so why not just let me blow the bastard's head off when we had the chance?"

She stared silently at the floor and Ben slowly stopped to look at her. "He…is going to be executed, right?"

Her lack of response sent him into a frenzied panic, and he hurried over to sit by her, taking her by the shoulders. "Mara, tell me he's going to be executed! He has to die for what he's done!"

Mara slapped his hands away and leaned forward. "I know, I know! But you have to understand why I'm hesitating, Ben."

"No, I don't have to understand, there's nothing to understand! Brother or not, that man is a murderer!" Ben stood angrily and stomped back into a pace. "I don't believe this, Mara! He's killed countless people and you're going to spare him?"

Mara stood abruptly and clenched her fists at her sides. "I haven't made a decision yet, Ben."

"What is there to decide?!" He yelled, throwing his arms out in exasperation. "There is no decision, Mara! What about Page's men? What about Swift? He murdered them, Mara!"

"I've had enough of this," Mara growled. "I don't need to be lectured by you."

"What about Elliot? The so called love of your life? You only talk about him every damned day, have you forgotten that Logan murdered him too?"

She could feel the tears fighting to spill down her cheeks. "Stop it, Ben."

His face was red with fury. "He obviously meant nothing to you after all!"

In a flash Mara lifted her hand and the shock of her palm meeting Ben's cheek silenced both of them. After a tense, silent moment, and for some reason that he could not explain, Ben felt his own hand rise, but he could not find the strength to hit her back. She looked firmly into his eyes, daring him to strike her, and the intensity of the anger, hurt, and confusion behind them sent Ben reeling backward. He dropped his hand to his side, ashamed that he had even thought of such a thing, and sharply turned to leave.

Mara watched as the door closed behind him, and the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of her father's old clock across the room, each click another moment she had to ponder just what had happened. She silently sat back on the sofa, her hand tingling from when she'd slapped Ben. She lifted it to her cheek, and could not stop the sobs that tore through her chest.

She knew he was right. She knew it. It was painfully clear. But the thought of having Logan killed just didn't seem real to her. But Elliot…his death was unjustified, as was Swift's and all the others'. She had to make a warranted choice, for she was going to be queen.

_Gods_, she prayed, _Avo, what do I do?_

* * *

Dawn broke on the horizon over a smoking, battered city. Under the Princess's orders, the triumphant army set about to clean the streets, bury bodies, and tend to the wounds of citizens and enemy soldiers alike. In the castle, on the other side of the stained glass that reflected the rising sun, people hurried around after a sleepless night to prepare for an urgent coronation.

Mara stood still, keeping her calm as maids and dressers worried over her, tugging on the strings of her corset and putting every ruffle on the dress into place. She looked at herself in the mirror as they worked on her, amazed by the blue gown that she wore, the gold stitching glinting in the sunlight that was streaking through the windows. The dress had been her mothers, and it was a miracle that it happened to fit perfectly on her. There was a men's suit that matched the dress that her father used to wear as the King, she had always expected Elliot to wear it.

The thought of Elliot reminded her of her argument with Ben, and she shuttered at the memory, startling the seamstress who was picking at her bustle. "Is everything alright, ma'am?" The old woman asked, and Mara nodded, looking back at herself in the mirror.

Her rebellious mind wandered to another thought that she hadn't wanted to pursue. She imagined what Ben would look like in her father's suit. He would look so handsome in the blue and gold, and she imagined them standing next to each other, greeting the kingdom in matching royal attire.  
She froze, her heart catching in her throat. She was going to be queen. Queen of Albion, in just a few hours. And Ben was nothing more than a soldier.

Could she really plan her life around him—now that she had finally found love after Elliot?

This realization made Mara tremble uncontrollably, and the seamstress and maids that hustled around her stopped to look worriedly at her.

"Princess?" the voices asked, and she was unable to answer as she searched for breath.

_No_, she prayed as they loosened her corset, hoping that she might find air, _Gods, please don't take him from me._


	13. Chapter 13 - Blind Truth

**Two chapters in two days? WHAT HAVE I BECOME?**

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**Blind Truth**

* * *

The castle courtyard was packed with people, and the crowds overflowed into the streets of the marketplace where festivities were being had; people danced over the ruined cobblestones, ribbons and decorations were strung between the battle-worn houses and shops. It was as if there had been no battle at all the day before. The very weather itself cleared to let the sun shine as if it also celebrated the crowning of the new queen.

Mara had lost all her feeling as she stood in the parlor with Walter, staring at the curtained doors in front of her. In a few moments, those doors would open, and she would step out onto the balcony to greet the people—her people—as the Queen of Albion. Her dress rustled as she shifted her weight cautiously from one foot to the other.

A strong, comforting hand came down on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Walter wink at her. "I'm so bloody proud of you, my girl. Today is a new day for Albion." Mara smiled as he leaned down to kiss her forehead, tickling her face with his whiskers like he did when she was a little girl. "I know you'll do me proud."

"Thank you, Walter," she answered. He patted her shoulder and stepped out the door onto the balcony; the cheering of the crowd filled the room as the door was opened to let him through, sending Mara's heart leaping. It died away when the door was closed again, and Mara took a deep breath in the quiet room.

"Mara."

She turned to see Ben, dressed in his nicest uniform, clutching the hilt of his ceremonial saber nervously as he looked upon her. He took a moment to gasp at how beautifully regal she was in her coronation gown, and she blushed as he looked her over.

Ben stepped forward hesitantly and rubbed his neck. "Mara, I'm sorry about…what I said."

"Ben—"

He put up a hand to stop her. "No, listen. I was out of line. I was angry, and I said some hurtful things. The truth is, I am unbelievably proud of you for coming this far, and whatever choice you make regarding Logan, I will uphold with the utmost of honor." He straightened himself as he continued to address his Princess. "I will follow you no matter what."

Mara shook her head, stepping toward him. "I don't want you to follow me," she said quietly, looking first at the ground, then at his beautiful blue eyes. "I just want you to love me, Ben."

His expression softened as he wrapped his arms gently around her waist, whispering to her. "You don't have to worry about that, love."

She rested her head on his chest, and he held her silently for a moment as the cheering of the crowd rumbled outside the door. She would have rather stayed in his arms than face the people outside; for the first time she felt afraid to leave certain safety to face her future.

"They're ready for you," he said quietly.

"Right," Mara said, turning her head to look up at him, "but I'm not sure if I'm ready for them."

Ben smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips. "You may not be sure, but I am."

Mara sighed, and pulled away, taking a deep breath and stretching her neck. "Alright. How do I look?"

"Perfect." Ben answered, his smile brighter than the sun outside. "Let's just hope the crown fits."

Mara giggled and turned around. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded to Ben as he reached for the door handle.

She blinked as the bright sun flooded into the room, and stepped out onto the balcony with her head held high.

* * *

Below the balcony, in the center of the noisy crowd, a little girl stood on the very tips of her toes to see the Princess in her beautiful dress. The crowd had broken out into exuberant cheers and she hastily grabbed her father's shirt next to her, tugging with all her might.

"Papa!" she shouted as loud as her little voice could handle, "Papa, I can't see!"

At her insistence, the little girl's father smiled warmly down at her, and lifted her up to sit atop his shoulders, pointing up to the balcony of the castle above them. "Look up there, pumpkin. She's up there."

The little girl, clinging tightly to her father's head, gasped when she saw the Princess. She was the most beautiful princess the little girl had ever seen, even prettier than the princesses in her storybooks. She wore an extravagant blue dress, and her brown curls spilled gracefully over her shoulders and cascaded down her back.

The large old man who stood next to her stepped forward, and he held up a gold crown that glinted in the sunlight. The cheers swelled as he brought the crown down to rest on her head, and his voice bellowed over the courtyard.

"All hail the Queen of Albion!"

The little girl joined the cheers, and her father squeezed her legs as he too let out a cry of joy.

The Queen waved to the crowd, smiling happily as they continued to roar. The little girl's heart leaped as she saw the Queen's brown eyes make direct contact with hers, and she smiled widely down at her.

"Everything's going to change now, pumpkin," her father said to her, "this queen saved us. She's a true Hero!"

"Wow," she breathed, as she continued to gaze upon the new Hero Queen of Albion.

* * *

The parlor was quickly filled with a mighty chorus of Mara's closest friends and allies; Page curtsied happily to her with her arm linked through Kidd's, who bowed over the cane that he supported his healing legs with. Sabine hopped excitedly next to Boulder, who kept his hand affectionately on Aldous' head. Even Captain Saker was present, surrounded by some of his mercenaries, and he winked cheerfully at Mara when she entered.

They allowed themselves a small celebration in light of the battle that had been won the day before, and servants brought out fruit and wine on delicate platters to serve to the merry crowd. A trio of court musicians took their place in the corner, and began to play a joyful dance tune. Mara laughed gaily as she danced with Saker and Walter, their mighty forms clumsily leading her through the floor. Sabine insisted that he cut in, and she giggled as she towered over the old man while the crowd danced the day away.

After an eternity of dancing and laughter, Mara found herself waltzing with one of the nobles, when a calloused hand tapped her on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Ben's voice asked, and the noble nodded and surrendered the Queen to her Captain.

Mara couldn't keep the smile off her face as he put his right hand gently on her hip, and took her hand in his left. To her surprise, he led her confidently and rather gracefully through the waltz, twirling her elegantly around the floor with ease.

"Captain Finn," she giggled, "I had no idea you were such a good dancer."

Ben smiled mischievously. "How else do you expect me to win over the ladies, my Queen?" She giggled again as he spun her around once more, bringing her closer into him. "I'm not just a sweet talker and good looks."

"I'll say," she whispered, and he raised an eyebrow at her. She laughed loudly as he jerked her into a fast spin, teasing her with his lead.

It was then that she looked over his shoulder and saw someone she hadn't expected to make an appearance.

Theresa stood across the room, smiling at the Queen as the dancers unknowingly parted the way between them. Mara watched as the room fell into stillness, and she stepped away from Ben to address the blind seeress. Ben reached after her with a slightly confused look on his face before he too froze in time, leaving Mara and Theresa alone in this fixed dimension.

"Theresa," Mara breathed, and the old woman smiled warmly at her.

"You have fulfilled the first part of your destiny. You were little more than a child when you left the castle. You have become a Hero, a leader, and now, finally, a Monarch."

Mara nodded slowly as she felt the weight of something she could not understand. Theresa was never one to stop by just to pay a visit; she was here to tell her something important. There was more to her destiny than just this…the fight was going to continue.

"But, your journey it not yet over," Theresa continued, and Mara held her breath as some strange fear seeped into her spine. "Now you are the Queen, and you can finally know the truth."

Theresa did not need the ability to see in order to stare deeply into Mara's eyes, plunging into her very soul with her sightless gaze.

"Albion will soon be attacked. And the threat could not be greater."

"…What?" Mara breathed.

Theresa motioned to the giant map table of Albion that stood near them, and Mara watched in horror as a black sludge began to seep through the plot that represented Aurora. It dripped from below, defying gravity itself, rising up into the air and covering the country in a thick blackness. Mara had only ever seen this phenomenon before: in Shadelight…in the Crawler's temple.

"Darkness is coming to Albion. It cannot be reasoned with. It cannot be halted."

The black sludge flooded over the sea and crept over the land mass of Albion.

"The leader of Albion is all that stands between the world we inhabit and that darkness."

Mara looked back to Theresa, her eyes filling with nervous tears.

"That is why you had to take your brother's place. The course of history demands it."

Mara's breath was shallow in her throat, and she swallowed hard before being able to find her voice. "That thing…is coming here?"

Theresa nodded, and the walls behind her began to darken as the blackness seeped through cracks that were not there. "If you do not succeed, everything we know will come to an end."

Mara looked around the room, watching as the sludge crept over the floor, the walls, the ceiling. Her eyes landed on Ben, who looked back at her, frozen in time, an expression of confusion fused into his face as he reached out for her.

"Why didn't you tell me this at the start?" she asked, turning back to the seeress. "This was never about Logan, was it?"

"I told you everything you needed to know, and all I spoke was the truth." The old woman did not falter when Mara breathed angrily through her teeth. "With Logan on the throne, Albion would have been doomed. This much I know. Only with a Hero wearing the crown do we have a chance of survival."

Mara groaned as the fear and anger within her could not be contained any longer. "And how do I stop it?" She nearly sobbed.

"You won't. Its arrival is inevitable."

Tears fell from the Queen's eyes as she blinked, completely unable to comprehend what was being told to her.

"One year from now, the Darkness will fall upon Albion."

One year?

"All you can do now is prepare, and hope to save as many of your people as you can."

That was all she had?

"You have one year to do what Logan could not: be the ruler that readies Albion for the greatest threat it has ever faced. And be the Hero that can stand against it."

_Gods, no._

Mara felt a surge of panic as time began to slowly start again. Theresa's form was disappearing from her sight, and Mara reached out for it in vain.  
"Wait—!"

But it was no use. The Seeress was gone, and Mara was alone. Alone with dozens of people dancing happily away around her, without a care in the world.

"Mara, what's wrong?"

She turned to see Ben had caught up with her, his face still puzzled, as his last memory had been Mara breaking their happy waltz without reason. She then realized that the black sludge had disappeared, and the walls had returned to their bright red color.

"Mara?"

She looked helplessly at Ben, and saw that Walter had also noticed her distress from across the room.

"I—I have to…" she shook her head, unable to form coherent thoughts, and turned to hurry out the door without another word to anyone.

* * *

She was walking aimlessly through the castle, though her legs gradually brought her to a sprint and her muddled thoughts directed her to the last place she expected to find herself.

She ran full speed through the corridors, going deeper and deeper, flying past the guards who fumbled to salute when she passed.

She didn't stop until she was standing, heaving for breath, in front of him, looking helplessly at him through the bars of his cell.

"You knew."

Logan stood slowly and looked at his sister with sad, understanding eyes, already knowing what her accusation was leading to.

"You knew, and that's why you became the way you are."

His heart sank; the fear that he wanted so much to protect his precious little sister from had already reached her. She had met the monster that haunted his nightmares; he had failed to protect her from the darkness.

"Logan."

Mara's eyes begged her brother for answers, and he sighed as more footsteps came barreling down the stairs. Sir Walter appeared, huffing behind Mara, accompanied by the soldier Logan recognized as the one who stuck a rifle in his face the previous night. His little sister did not waver, however, keeping her sharp eyes fixed on him with frightened determination.

"The day I returned to Albion—" he started, looking down at his feet, "I was visited by the blind seer. Theresa, our father's guide."

Mara nodded, though Walter and the soldier did not seem to understand what was happening, or who Theresa was. The soldier stepped forward and began to speak, but Mara lifted her hand quickly to silence him. She continued to stare at Logan, waiting for him to continue.

"She showed me the future of our kingdom."

"That the Darkness is coming."

He looked sadly at his sister, and nodded. "She showed me how the Darkness would come from Aurora, bringing death, destruction, the end of our way of life."

Walter choked on the air he breathed. "The Darkness from Aurora? The Crawler is coming here?"

"It will reach Albion in one year," Mara answered, though she kept her eyes fixed on Logan. Her voice became harsher, sharper, as if she were trying to fight something with her words. "I see it plainly now. You went to Aurora with the full intention of helping them. But when Theresa visited you and told you the truth, you changed. You refused to send aid to Aurora, you hiked up taxes, sending thousands into poverty, with the objective of raising an army to protect Albion when the time came. Though you chose to become a tyrant to do it."

Logan took a deep breath, and looked at his sister, no longer a child, but a Queen. "Everything I did, the sacrifices I had to make, I did to protect Albion. If a few had to suffer, it was to build an army. If a few had to die, it was to save a country. And I have grieved for every one of them."

"I can't believe it," Walter whispered, rubbing his face. "That…that thing is coming here?"

"The Crawler?" The soldier asked. "Is that the monster you met in Aurora?"

Mara turned and nodded to the sandy haired man, and Logan saw a look of sadness and concern flash between them, one that he felt strangely uncomfortable witnessing. It was as if they only had to look at each other in order to convey a thought, and it was in that quick moment that Logan suspected this man looked upon Mara as more than just his leader.

"If this is true," Walter continued, as if speaking to himself, "if that creature is really coming here…we are all in grave danger."

"Mara," Logan said, holding the bars and looking into his sister's brown eyes to find a fear that he never wanted to see in them, "my army is yours to command. All of my assets, everything I worked for, is in your hands now. Use them to protect Albion, the way I could not."

"Enough." The soldier had stepped forward, and he spoke harshly over Mara's shoulder. "Let us deal with him at his trial, Highness." His voice softened as he directed his next sentence only to her. "Now is not the time to worry about it."

Mara turned and looked at the man, her eyes pained and frightened by the news she had received. She took a deep breath, and began to leave. "You will be tried tomorrow morning, brother." She allowed herself to look back at the fallen king once more before ascending the stone stairs out of the prison. "May Avo have mercy on us all."


	14. Chapter 14 - Logan's Trial

**I was so close to posting chapter 15 on accident, because I thought I had already posted this one. What a fun surprise that would have been! **

* * *

**Chapter 14**

**Logan's Trial**

* * *

Celebrations in honor of the new Queen went on into the evening, the streets of Bowerstone flurrying with dancing, laughter and merriment. The castle was also bustling with excitement in the wake of the day's events, and everyone was still enjoying the light atmosphere even as the sun had set beyond the ocean.

Though there had been no sign of the Queen since that afternoon when she had hastily left her celebration without a word. Walter and Ben had assured everyone that she was just exhausted, and wanted to rest. No one questioned that she might still be resting even this late into the evening, as she had just won a revolution and more than deserved it.

It was past dinnertime when Ben snuck away into the royal suite, quietly opening the door to Mara's quarters to check on her. He found a smile creep over his face when he saw her; she was still in her coronation gown, though she was stretched out on her bed, sound asleep. Aldous had found his way to her side again, and he was lying on his side, melting into the billowing blankets as he napped beside her. The dog lifted his head only when Ben entered, his heavy eyes blinking independently of one another before he yawned and wagged his tail. Ben rustled the collie's ears before reaching down to remove Mara's shoes, and she stirred sleepily to open her eyes and look at him.

"Sorry," Ben whispered, "didn't mean to wake you."

"It's alright," she said, stretching her arms over her head and patting Aldous when he happily jumped up to lick her face.

"Are you hungry?" Ben asked, sitting at the foot of the bed. "You slept through dinner."

"No, I'm fine," she sighed, trying to sit up but finding it difficult given her current attire. Ben offered his hand to pull her upright, and she grunted when the dress constricted her breath.

"Up," he ordered, and despite her new status as his queen, she obeyed with a sigh. Aldous jumped off the bed as she stood with her back to Ben, pulling her hair over her shoulder so that he could get a better look at the intricate laces that held her into her dress.

"How in the—" he muttered, tugging at the laces, eliciting a quiet giggle from Mara. She pointed to the top of her back. "There should be a bow up here."

Ben grunted a laugh when he found it, and tugged it loose, though the dress was still firmly in place. Mara let out a sleepy snicker as he fought with the laces and hooks, finally able to free her from the confines of the accursed garment after a few moments of struggle, only to find that there was another underneath. He sighed in exasperation as Mara stepped out of the dress, a teasing smile inching across her face.

"I don't get it," Ben sighed, sinking down to sit on the edge of the bed as Mara draped the dress over a chair. He watched as she reached behind her back to undo the laces of her corset herself, impressed that she could even work through the maze of knots without looking.

"What?" She asked, "I find it hard to believe that you haven't undone your fair share of corsets."

"I have!" Ben argued defiantly, "But I've never grappled with the likes of a _royal_ corset. It's like they're trying to keep everyone out."

"Hmm." Mara answered, loosening the cage and tossing it aside, left in her undergarments as she walked back to the bed. Ben pulled the sheets back to let her in, and she sleepily slid between them, her head sinking into the pillows. Ben realized that this was the first time she had been back in her bed since she escaped from the castle almost a year ago, and he smiled as she sighed happily. He leaned over to kiss her forehead before turning to leave, but a hand reached out and gripped the tail of his coat, pulling him back.

"Stay."

It was an order. He glanced at the door, then at the bed, almost intimidated by the intricacy of it. He removed his coat and gently lowered himself onto the quilt, almost afraid that he might dirty it by his mere un-royal presence. Mara rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

"I love you, Ben."

Ben's heart leaped nearly straight out of his chest, but he remained stoic, afraid that any sign of feminine excitement he was sure to emit might cause her to change her mind.

Almost as soon as she had spoken, she had fallen asleep. Ben held her gently, afraid that if he moved, the world would start again and he would be forced to face the next day. He rested his chin on the top of Mara's head, but he could not relax.

Her bed was incredibly comfortable, but that was not the problem. A thought crossed his mind that made him lose feeling in his fingers; the last person who had been in this bed with Mara was Elliot, and he had been properly between the sheets. He was a noble, and Ben was just a simple soldier who was afraid to even sit upon the quilt.

He was even more afraid to let go of Mara, but he reluctantly slid out from under her, careful not to wake her. He felt a sad smile try to creep across his face, but it failed in its endeavor as he leaned down to kiss his Queen's hair before grabbing his coat and moving for the door. Aldous lifted his head and watched Ben as he slipped out.

"Watch her," he ordered the dog, and as if he had understood, the dog lifted himself to his feet and jumped onto the bed, taking Ben's place.

Ben sighed and ran a hand through his hair before turning to walk down the corridor, when a deep voice stopped him clean in his tracks.

"You'd better be careful, boy."

Ben let out a slow breath to steady himself and turned around to face the giant who had spoken. Sir Walter was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, eyeing the soldier with sharp, no longer blind eyes. His body stiffened in fear when he saw that the knight's sword was still strapped to his side.

"Walter," he began, but the old man put up a hand to hush him. The movement made Ben jump.

"Relax, boy. I'm not going to hit you."

Ben realized he had one eye squeezed shut, ready for the strike, and he opened it hesitantly. "You…you're not?"

"No. Though I should." Walter straightened himself and tapped the door. "I can't imagine she'd be happy with me if I did."

Ben managed a shy smile and gulped, still afraid that the old man might snap and kill him for touching his ward.

"You're a good man, Ben. One of the best, as Swift used to always say. But you know this is much more complicated than a simple romance between young people."

"I know."

Walter sighed. "She's our queen now, Ben. And you—you're just a soldier."

"I know." And how he knew. He thought about it only every damned night. He couldn't be allowed to be with her, she was so much higher than he in every way. He knew every time he looked at her brilliantly beautiful smile, that he didn't deserve her one bit.

"It's not as if we're tied to tradition," the old knight shrugged. "Hell, King Sparrow was a gypsy boy of all things. Hardly a noble. But, we must obey what the people want."

Ben bit his tongue and found a spot on the opposite wall to weld his eyes to as the old man continued.

"The people want a leader, and though whoever Mara decides to be with will not be a King, he will be viewed as such. He must be patient, approachable, and not prone to rash decisions." Walter raised an eyebrow at Ben, who continued to stare angrily at the spot on the wall. He knew all of this, and Walter's reminding him of it simply did not help his patience.

"However," the knight continued, "the people would be more likely to accept a General than a Captain, and I know that you are aware of your status of candidacy." Ben nodded, and Walter cocked his head. "But I know you, Ben. You're not one for a responsible grown-up job. You'd rather be out adventuring than being cooped up in this castle."

Ben rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. "I love her, Walter."

"I don't doubt that. But this problem won't go away."

Ben nodded without a word.

Walter sighed and crossed his arms again. "But for now we he have more important things to worry about. Tomorrow she'll decide the fate of her brother, and then, well, we have to raise an army."

Ben nodded again, daring to look up at the knight and make eye contact. It wasn't supposed to get this complicated. She was supposed to overthrow Logan, and Ben was supposed to go on his merry soldier way. He wasn't supposed to fall in love with her. She certainly wasn't supposed to fall in love with him. But fate seemed to have different plans for them, and now it was hitting them upside the head with a bolt of reality. Walter could see all of this with just one look in the distraught man's eyes. Without a word, the old knight patted Ben firmly on the shoulder, and turned to leave.

Ben watched him as he disappeared around the corner, and sighed as he fell against the wall, and slid to the floor.

* * *

The doors to the throne room were flung open as Mara boldly stepped through, and Walter's booming voice echoed over the massive crowd that had packed into the space to witness Logan's sentence.

"All rise for the Queen of Albion."

An excited hush fell over the room as Mara strode down the aisle and up the stairs to sit upon the throne, trying to maintain an air of confidence despite her complete lack of it. Standing next to the throne was Sir Walter, and he nodded encouragingly at her as she moved to sit. Standing to the right of the aisle facing her were her allies; Page, Kalin, Sabine, and Ben were lined up to support her with overwhelming trust in her decision.

"Today," Walter bellowed, "the Queen will decide the fate of the former King. Bring him in."

The crowd jeered and booed as side doors to the room were opened, and two burly guards dragged Logan into the room. He wore irons around his wrists that constricted them to his front, and his weary face was pale beneath his bushy beard. Mara's heart sank as she realized the incredible switch in power between them, and she suddenly felt sick.

"Quiet, please!" Walter's thunderous voice hushed the crowd and he turned to look upon the spent ex-king. "Logan, former King of Albion, you stand accused today of crimes against the kingdom, and its people. Your sentence will be decided now."

All eyes turned to Mara.

She lowered her head, though she did not take her eyes off of her brother, who returned her gaze with a sad, but understanding stare. He knew that he deserved to die. She knew it. But she found in this moment, surrounded by her people, on her first day as Queen of Albion, she did not have the strength to kill him.

Sabine, who was nearly hopping with fury, stepped forward. "Highness, if I may say a word?"

Mara nodded.

The little man turned to look at Logan. "There isn't a soul alive in this kingdom who hasn't suffered for his glory, and plenty who've died for it."

Ben nodded in agreement. "Majesty, you know I'm not one for lopping people's heads off, but…" he shook his head, "we saw Major Swift executed. Like it was a bloody circus act." While normally he would have raised his voice in excitement, Ben instead lowered it apologetically as he looked up at Mara. "He deserves nothing less as far as I'm concerned."

Page stepped forward to speak. "But aren't we better than that? Isn't that why we fought to be here now?" Mara brought her folded hands up to her mouth as she considered her words. "I've seen what Logan has done to this city. People starving to death. Children forced to work. But killing him now won't solve anything."

Sabine grunted his disagreement as Kalin took voice, she too stepping forward. "It is not my place to decide his fate, but his betrayal condemned many of my people to death. He promised us salvation, and left us to face the Darkness alone!"

"I had good reason to break that promise!" Logan's voice silenced everyone, and he looked pleadingly at all of them, showing fear for the first time since his capture. "And I had good reason for the crimes you say I committed."

"To hell with you!" Sabine roared, hitting his staff against the floor. "You're nothing more than a tyrant, and a heartless murderer to boot! Let us kill him, Majesty!"

The crowd burst into angry shouts and howls at Sabine's encouragement, and Mara lifted her aching head to shout. "Enough! Silence!"

The quickness with which her order was followed surprised her, though she did not falter in her duties.

"My sister," Logan said quietly, "you know what I have told is the truth. My armies are yours to command now. I do not plead innocent, nor will I argue what decision you make."

She looked to Sir Walter, who again nodded his encouragement. She looked to Page, Sabine, Kalin and Ben, who all waited expectantly for her sentence. She looked out to the crowd, who stood in tense silence as they watched her in anticipation.

They wanted him to die.

Her head began to throb and she rubbed it vigorously before slowly rising to her feet.

"You cannot escape punishment for what you've done, brother."

Logan nodded sadly, prepared to accept his fate.

"But now—is not the time for revenge."

A surprised gasp overcame the room and excited murmurs crept through the crowd.

"We have more important problems to deal with now. And unlike you, I have within me mercy." She looked him forcefully in the eyes. "And the ability to forgive those who have so deeply wronged me." She sighed. "You will be held as a prisoner of the Kingdom of Albion, and in one year's time we will discuss the terms of your banishment."

The crowd erupted violently into a furious roar, and Mara watched as a swarm of guards hurried into the room to keep them back. Sabine shook his head angrily, and Karin lowered her gaze to the floor. Ben watched worriedly as Mara took everything in, and she filled her lungs to their greatest capacity before letting out a mighty shout to silence them all.

"ENOUGH!" A sudden burst of blue light flared from her skin, and her will lines shone brightly as she stared in rage at the crowd. Every voice was hushed at the sight, and no one could escape the sheer force of power that she emitted. "This is my decree! It will be followed without question!" She sat back down as her will lines faded, and exhaustion once again overcame her. She put her elbow on the armrest and cradled her forehead in her palm, motioning to the guards holding Logan.

"Take him away."

She closed her eyes and listened to the angry bellows that rose from the crowd, and she knew that on her first day as Queen of Albion, she had likely lost the support of many people.

* * *

At first, the others had not been eager to hear Mara's reasoning behind her judgement, but as she informed Sabine, Kalin, and Page of what Theresa had foretold, anger turned to fearful understanding.

"But why did he have to live?" Sabine asked, looking over at Mara, who sat in what had been her father's favorite chair, next to the fireplace in the war room. "We have his army now, so what do we need him for?"

"The nobility is still loyal to Logan," Mara sighed. "If I'd had him executed, I would have lost their support, and we cannot afford that. We need their money to raise an army capable of facing the Crawler."

"The people won't be happy to hear that he's been spared," Ben said quietly, and he leaned his hand on the map table to look at Mara. She was staring into the fireplace, her chin resting gently on the back of her hand as she pondered what had just happened.

"I don't know," Page shrugged. "More people may be impressed by the fact that she was able to show mercy to her enemy. This could work in your favor, Mara."

"We'll see," Mara sighed, secretly happy that her new title did not defer her friends from using her first name. In one day as queen, she had already grown exhausted by just the word alone. The fact that she was a "queen" rather than just a "princess" held more of a weight than she had expected.

Page leaned against the map table and crossed her arms, exchanging glances with Ben before venturing to speak. "How much money do we need to raise that army?"

Mara sighed again, and rubbed her chin. "According to Hobson's estimates," she said carefully, "we need at least 6 million in order to keep civilian casualties to the bare minimum."

"6 million?" Page breathed. "How…how much do we have now?"

"Fifty thousand."

The room was silent for a long moment as Mara's words sank in. Sabine cleared his throat before he spoke. "But, you faced the Crawler before. Do you believe this estimate to be correct, based on your experience?"

Mara looked to Walter, who sadly returned her gaze. "Honestly, I don't believe any amount of money will be enough to prepare Albion for the Darkness," she said. She stood, and walked closer to the fireplace to put less distance between her and the light.

Ben watched as she placed herself next to the fire. There was a hint of despair in her voice that he wondered if anyone else caught. She was very talented when it came to putting up the Queenly facade, he had come to notice. Earlier that morning, when she ordered the throne room to silence, even without the burst of energy from her will she would have received complete obedience. It shocked him, humbled him, even excited him in a strange, shameful way. But now, he knew that she was on the verge of breaking. Perhaps it was because he considered himself to be closer to Mara than the others present, but he had found himself able to read her like an open book, and the pages she was showing read of utter hopelessness. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and hold her, but he bit his lip hard to bring himself back to reality.

With a thundering crash, the doors to the war room were flung open, and a panting guard stumbled into the room, clumsily bowing to Mara before speaking. "My Queen," he said in a panic, "there's a riot forming in the Market Square! Citizens are in an uproar over the decision to spare Logan! People are fighting in the streets!"

Ben hurried to straighten himself and turned to Walter. "I will send my men out immediately."

"No," Mara said sternly from the fireplace. "They've had enough of soldiers. I will go."

"M—Mara, it's too dangerous," Ben argued, though he knew she would not listen.

"I caused this mess, so it's best I clean it up." She motioned to Walter. "Find Aldous, will you? He's been cooped up inside for too long today."

Walter smirked. "I'm on it, my Queen."


	15. Chapter 15 - Hero Blood

**So, here's a story: as the wonderful angelacm pointed out, I wrote "Karin" instead of "Kalin" in the last chapter. I thought, "oh, no big deal, just a silly typo, I've been drinking a bit of wine, it happens." So I went back and corrected it in chapter 14.**

**Then, silly me, I went back and checked the other chapters. Nope. I've been typing "Karin" a few more times than I feel is acceptable. Oops. And the thing is, the "r" and "l" buttons on a standard keyboard are not exactly within acceptable mistaking range, so I really have no excuse besides the fact that I'm dumb. Or, as I have noticed, my spellcheck recognizes the name "Karin" and not the name "Kalin," so without the squiggly red line underneath the word, I'm doomed to glaze over it. Hehe, silly me. ^_^**

**ANYWHO, here's chapter 15. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

**Hero Blood**

* * *

The Bowerstone Market was complete chaos as Mara hurried down the steep street that led from the castle, surrounded by guards and flanked closely on both sides by Walter and Ben, who refused to let her go alone. Aldous pranced happily around them, unaware of any danger as they approached the scene.

From what Mara could tell, the brawl was not rooted in any one place, but had spread throughout the entire square, furthering the damage the earlier battle had made on the shops that lined it. The guards had informed her that it originally started between two men, who were arguing over Logan's trial. Somehow, it had turned into a bloody mess that spilled all over the street, involving what seemed to be close to a hundred people, all throwing punches at noses and smashing bottles over heads and knocking teeth out of mouths.

Mara glanced around the buildings, focusing on an empty balcony that emerged from above the blacksmith's shop, and began to push her way through the crowd toward it. Not a soul seemed to realize that she was even there. Walter and Ben placed themselves at the front door with the blacksmith as Mara hurried up the stairs inside to the smith's living quarters on the second floor. A guard followed closely behind her, and she threw the doors open to step out on the balcony, taking in the scene before her as Aldous sat at her feet.

She took a deep breath and felt the warmth of her will flowing through her veins as she called forth her power. With a great heave, she threw her voice over the crowd as hard as her lungs could reach, and the might of her shout sent everyone in the square falling to their knees. The streets fell silent as every pair of eyes gazed upward at their Queen, who glowed a breathtaking blue as she looked upon them.

"This is unacceptable!" she growled, much like a mother scolding her children. "Only the day before yesterday did we claim victory over a tyrannical king, and here you are, fighting people who used to be your allies! Your neighbors, friends, compatriots! We have a kingdom to rebuild; the time for fighting is over!"

The crowd, many of whom had returned to their feet, watched her silently with many an ashamed face as she spoke. "I understand that many of you do not agree with my decision to spare Logan's life, but killing him now would have achieved nothing! Citizens," she shook her head, "no, _friends_, you must find mercy within your hearts, as I fought to find it within my own. As your new Queen, I need you to help me lead you. I need your guidance now more than ever."

To her utter surprise, her impromptu speech actually worked. Beginning at one end of the crowd, and sweeping over it to the other side, a mighty roar bellowed through every pair of lungs, and the lot cheered almost violently at her address.

"Long live the Queen! All hail the Queen of Albion!"

Ben turned to look up at Mara, who was positively beaming with pride. She allowed herself to raise a hand and wave at her citizens, a gesture of thanks for their support. It seemed as though with just a flurry of words, she had calmed the angry masses and regained their trust.

Until a gunshot rang through the air and sent everyone scrambling back to the ground. Ben knew people were shouting, though he could not hear anything as he instinctively looked up to Mara for a sign that she had not been hit. He was relieved to see that she was still standing, staring with what could only be described as a sad expression down at the crowd.

But after that short moment, and to his horror, she grunted quietly and placed her hand to her stomach, where a dark red spot appeared and began to grow at a rapid pace. The shouts and screams from the crowd suddenly made themselves clear to Ben as he watched his Queen lose the strength in her legs, and limply fall to the floor, out of his sight.

"NO!" He screamed, and without a thought to the stairs inside he scrambled to hoist himself up to the balcony, using the uneven bricks and wood paneling to climb to his Mara. Down below, every guard present was descending upon a corner of the square, presumably to apprehend whomever had fired the shot.

Ben flung himself over the balcony and kneeled next to Mara, who was being supported by the guard who was accompanying her. Aldous licked her face and whined as she sucked in a breath through her teeth, clutching her stomach without the strength to let go.

"I'm…okay," she gasped, leaning her head back to look up at him. "I'm okay."

Ben ignored her and took her from the guard. "Go find a doctor, now!"

The guard managed a "yessir" before scrambling to his feet and dashing down the stairs.

Ben looked back down to Mara, who was squeezing her eyes shut against the pain in her stomach. He wiped a sweaty strand of hair away from her forehead and kissed her hard on the lips before lifting her into his arms and carrying her inside.

"I promise, Ben," she whispered, "I'm fine."

"Shut up," he ordered, and she buried her head in the crook of his neck with a groan.

Walter had climbed the stairs by the time Ben had placed her on the blacksmith's bed, the smith himself having fetched a bundle of sheets and rags. Ben coaxed Mara's hands off her wound, and unsheathed his dagger to cut open her dress and corset, not even allowing himself to blink. His mind was blank; he had a duty now, and that was to keep his Queen alive.

He ordered a sheet be used to cover Mara as her corset had to be removed, and she was left in her undergarments. The blacksmith hurried to obey, and Mara clutched the sheet he gave her forcefully to take her mind off the pain. Walter moved to kneel at her head, stroking her hair with his massive hands. "It'll be alright, my girl," he whispered. "It's just a nasty little bullet wound."

Ben did his best to clean the wound, clearing away massive amounts of blood to see that the will lines surrounding it were glowing with incredible brightness. He shook his head, and held the towel in his hand firmly to the wound, praying that the bleeding would stop. He allowed himself to look at Mara, though he instantly wished he hadn't.

Her face was as pale as the white sheet she clutched in her hands, and she was shaking and sweating as if she were running a powerful fever. Ben lost all feeling in his body when he saw her; she was going to die of blood loss before a doctor even arrived.

Walter saw the panic wash over Ben's face and he hurried to take the rag from him, pressing it harder into the wound. Without a thought, Ben moved to hold Mara's face in his hands, leaning over to rest his forehead against hers.

"Stop it," he pleaded, but with what or whom he was unsure of. "Please, don't take her from me."

She was barely conscious now, and he squeezed her face as if it might squeeze life back into her.

"Please," he choked, turning to press his cheek to hers, and staring with tearful eyes as he locked his gaze with Aldous, who watched anxiously from the side of the bed.

Suddenly, Walter fell back with a surprised shout. "Gods!"

Ben lifted his head to look at Walter, then at the wound. A blinding blue light erupted from the bullet hole, casting swirling designs on the walls and ceiling that resembled Mara's will lines. He clutched her head as the light shook her, and she let out a gasp before the light faded swiftly away, leaving nothing but glowing will lines upon her stomach.

The wound was gone.

With a shaking hand, Ben tentatively reached out to touch Mara's stomach, running his fingers the spot where the bullet hole had been. Her skin was smooth, not even a scratch to prove she had ever been injured. He turned to look at her face, the will lines that crawled up her neck were glowing and bringing color back to her pallid cheeks. She blinked, and looked back at him with a tired smile.

"I told you I was fine."

Ben let out a joyous shout despite himself, and ducked his head down to crush his mouth to hers, not giving a damn that Walter was present. "You bloody tease," he said with a strained voice, burying his head in her neck and wrapping his arms firmly around her, "I thought you were gone."

Footsteps came barreling up the stairs, and the guard returned with a very distraught looking man, who clutched his medical case tightly in his hands. "Y—your Majesty, I am Doctor Thompson," he said, clearly shocked that he was going to be tending to the queen.

Walter waved at the man to come look at Mara's stomach. "She's just fine, Doctor! Simply perfect, you see?" He laughed and clapped the man on the back.

Doctor Thompson glanced from Mara's stomach, to the pile of bloody clothes on the floor, and back to study the glowing will lines that surrounded where a bullet wound should have been. "By the Gods," he breathed, "I should have expected as much from the Hero Queen."

Mara gripped Ben's arms as she pulled herself up to a sitting position, groaning at the soreness in her muscles. "Alright, enough fuss. Could I have my clothes back, please? I'm behind schedule, Hobson is going to have a fit."

"Already?" Ben asked, stunned that she was ready to get back to work so soon. "Not more than a day into your duties and you've already had someone try and assassinate you, love."

Mara shook her head as Walter handed her a pile of clothes that the blacksmith provided from his wife's trunk. "That doesn't matter, Ben. We've got an army to raise, remember?" She looked up at the blacksmith, who had retreated to the corner of the room, unsure of how to treat the situation.

"What is your name?"

"Oh, uh," the smith bowed awkwardly and wrung his hands nervously in his apron. "William Mallory, milady."

"Mr. Mallory," she said with a smile, "I give you my thanks. And, as a warning, expect a rather large commission from me in the near future."

The smith blinked.

* * *

Thomas Grove had been on an errand for his uncle in Bowerstone when he heard the commotion in the Market Square. His errand had led him so a bookstore, in search for some reference book his uncle was just dying to have in his possession, when shouts emerged from the street and erupted into an all out riot in less than five minutes.

He hadn't expected Mara to make an appearance personally, and much less to be able to hush the violent crowd with nothing more than a shout.  
Grove certainly did not agree with the Queen's decision to spare Logan's life, but he respected her for it, knowing full well that she had suffered the same horrific experience that he had. He cringed and shook his head when he thought of Rosie, but his thoughts were interrupted when the crowd began to cheer for the Queen in a surprising turn around.

Though the young woman who stood next to him was not cheering. She was shaking with angry tears, and before Grove had time to react, she had produced a small pistol from the folds in her dress and shot blindly at the balcony. The crowd burst into panic at the shot, and he leaped for the woman, grabbing the pistol in one hand while tackling her to the ground. He could see a few more soldiers making their way toward them, and he looked up to see that Mara had collapsed. Ben was desperately climbing the side of the building to get to her.

A soldier helped him to his feet and pulled the girl upright. Grove handed the pistol to the guard and looked at the girl; her face was frozen in surprise beneath wild locks of red hair as strong hands gripped her arms.

"I—I just shot the queen." She choked, seemingly frightened by her own actions.

Grove nodded to the soldiers to take her away. "Looks like it, darling."

He rested his hands on his hips as he watched the soldiers take her back toward the castle, heaving a big sigh as the people around him continued to scramble in a panic.


	16. Chapter 16 - Mercy

**I apologize for the lateness...I am moving and so I have been packing up my apartment. Why do I have so much useless crap? **

* * *

**Chapter 16**

**Mercy**

* * *

"Your Majesty, I am very sorry that an attempt was made on your life, but there is no possible way I can fit a criminal hearing into your schedule."

Mara sighed as Hobson struggled with a messy pile of papers in his arms, searching for something that Mara was sure she wouldn't want to have anything to do with once he set it in front of her. "Hobbes—"

"Please don't call me that, Majesty."

Mara leaned her arm on her desk, and looked up at him. "_Hobson_, there has to be free time in the next week or so?"

"None, absolutely none!" The little man finally found what he was looking for and slapped it down on her desk, taking a moment to adjust the spectacles on his nose. "Well, actually, there may be enough time the day after tomorrow. I don't understand why you won't just have the girl executed and be done with it. That's what the law dictates."

Mara sighed as she picked up the papers he gave her. "The circumstances were just too unordinary, Hobson. I cannot execute her without a trial, it wouldn't feel right." She turned the parchment over in her hand. "What is this?"

"It is a proposal to abolish child labor in Industrial, Majesty. Your friend Page urged me to hand it to you as soon as possible."

Mara read over the proposal, and moved to take her pen to sign it. Hobson watched as she readied the ink and went about her signature, before stopping halfway through. She furrowed her brow, and looked up at him. "Has Reaver nothing to say about this?"

"I doubt he'll be happy about it, Majesty. Though he has agreed to comply with your decisions."

Mara stared at him for a moment. "This will be a setback for our treasury, will it not?"

"It will, Majesty."

She looked back down at the proposal and stared at it long and hard, her hand still frozen in the midst of signing her name. After a long moment, she took a breath and finished her signature, letting out a quiet curse as she did so.

"Very good, Majesty," Hobson said, taking the paper from her and rustling through the pile to find another. "Oh! Now here's one that will brighten your day, Highness," he said happily, placing another down in front of her before she had replaced her pen. "One of your loyal subjects has offered you a gift of fifty thousand, isn't that nice? All you need is to sign to accept it."

Mara read the parchment; a certain noble named Gregory Abel was offering her a good part of his fortune to refill the treasury, and he greatly hoped she would accept. She sighed, grateful that there were citizens willing to help her without expecting anything in return, but she knew that this generous gift would not make much of a dent in the army funds. She signed the paper, handed it off to Hobson, and he quickly gave her another.

"One more, Your Majesty."

Mara looked over the paper, then back up at him. "Hobson, what is this?"

"That is a marriage proposal, Majesty."

"I can see that it is a marriage proposal, Hobson. Why is this on my desk?"

Hobson adjusted his spectacles again. "Majesty, surely you know that you must marry soon! Oh, isn't it just wonderful? Not even a week into your rule and men are already throwing themselves at your feet!"

Mara set the paper down and crossed her hands. "I would hardly call this 'throwing themselves at my feet.'" She sighed, and stood. "No marriage proposals."

"But Majesty—"

Mara towered over the little man, staring him down as hard as she could. "No marriage proposals. Understood?"

Hobson cowered behind the pile of papers in his hands, and he gulped. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." She waved toward the door. "You may leave."

The man bowed deeply and hobbled quickly out the door, leaving Mara leaning against her father's old desk with a heaving sigh.

* * *

It had just been a normal day. Tamara Abrams was going to the blacksmith to see how much she could get for her father's old pistol; she wanted to get rid of the thing now that the old bastard had died. He didn't treat that weapon any better than he treated his children; the old thing didn't even fire anymore. She hoped to get something for the scrap metal.

She couldn't help but overhear the argument between the two men at the center of the square as she crossed the marketplace; one man was livid about the Queen's decision to spare Logan's life, the other was arguing against him.

Tamara stopped in her tracks as she listened in, the blood boiling in her veins as she thought about Logan. Her precious older brother, her protector, the light of her life, had been sent into Mourningwood on a suicide mission, for nothing more than the glory of the king. Logan had murdered him, and left her alone in the world with the abusive monster she called a father.

From what she had heard of the Queen, she was a smart, beautiful, kind woman. Though the fact that she had shown mercy to Logan was unacceptable.

She never dreamed she would _shoot_ her.

It had happened so fast; the riot, the Queen's speech…

Why? Why were these people cheering for her? She refused to execute the man responsible for the deaths of so many people…

She was getting hot. She couldn't breath. She was so angry that she began to lose her vision, and her body seemed to move on its own.

The old pistol hadn't fired in years. Why did it have to fire now?

In a flash she was on the ground; a man near her had tackled her and restrained her as the crowd began to panic. She couldn't see the queen anymore.

"Gods," Tamara breathed. "I—I shot the Queen."

"Looks like it, darling," the man said.

She was so dizzy. The guards dragged her up the street to the castle, down a flight of muggy stone stairs, to a set of iron doors.

And now she was here. The castle dungeon, a place that she never dreamed she would be, for a crime she never thought she was capable of committing.

And _he_ was here. He was in the cell facing hers, his goddamn face visible to her. He was dirty and unshaven, but it was him.

Logan.

Most of the time she kept her back to the door, facing the stone wall so she wouldn't have to look at him. Hours passed in silence, and she was sure she'd lose her mind from just staring at the wall.

"What is your name?"

His voice made her jump, and she whipped her head around to look at him. He was sitting, leaning against the door of his cell, looking at her. She spat at him. "Don't talk to me."

To her surprise, he nodded sadly. "I deserve that."

She turned back around and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Why are you here?"

She took a sharp breath and turned around again, hate pooling in her fiery green eyes. "I shot the queen! I shot her because she let you live!"

He didn't seem to hear the last part of her statement. He jumped to his feet and gripped the bars of his cage, and the fear in his eyes made her gasp. "You shot her? Is she alright?!"

Tamara stared at him, amazed at his unexpected reaction, then turned around again. "I haven't heard anything, so I can only assume she's alright. She's a Hero, after all."

She heard him let out a breath and sit back down. A long moment passed between them, and when he spoke again, it was quiet and meek, nothing like the tyrant King she knew him to be.

"Did I kill someone you love?"

Tamara bit her tongue and rested her head on her knees, squeezing herself so tightly she could hardly breath. She could hear him shifting in his cell, his breath turning shaky and his voice barely audible even in their close proximity.

"I'm sorry," he choked, and to her bewilderment, she could hear tears in his voice. "I'm so sorry."

* * *

At Mara's insistence, Hobson reluctantly agreed to allow the "assassin-girl" a trial the next day. The throne room was packed to the rafters, with people spilling out into the foyer, everyone eager to see the face of the person who dared to make an attempt on the Hero Queen's life. Mara sat in her throne with Ben and Walter at her side as the guards brought the girl in.

She was nothing like Mara had imagined. The girl was breathtaking. Fiery red hair that spilled over her shoulders and bright green eyes that glowed over freckled cheeks; she couldn't have been more than eighteen years old.

"Tamara Abrams," Walter bellowed, "you stand accused of attempted murder of the Queen of Albion. The Queen has decided to give you a trial against all precedence." He nodded at Mara. "The floor is yours, Majesty."

"Thank you, Sir Walter." Mara took a moment to look at the girl, who kept her eyes glued to the ground. "Are you angry that I spared Logan's life?"

The girl bit her lip and nodded.

"I see." Mara took another moment to study the girl before continuing. "Your name is Abrams. You wouldn't happen to be related to a Private Martin Abrams?"

Tamara looked up, her eyes wide and full of tears. "He—he was my brother, Majesty."

"He was stationed at Fort Mourningwood with Major Swift."

Tamara nodded. Mara looked over to Ben, who was watching the girl with a sad expression. He had been the one to recognize the name from his time at Mourningwood, and looking upon the girl now, the resemblance between her and her deceased brother was undeniable. He turned his gaze when he felt Mara's eyes on him, and pressed his lips into a hard line.

"Miss Abrams," Mara said, motioning to Ben, "This is Benjamin Finn. He was Captain under Major Swift's command, and he fought alongside your brother."

The girl looked from her to Ben, but didn't say a word. Ben sighed. "He was a good soldier. I am very sorry that he died."

Tamara couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down her face, and she dropped her head. "He died fighting a pointless fight. Logan may as well have murdered him with his own hands!"

Mara sat in silence for a moment, before slowly rising to her feet. She rested her hand on her stomach, where the bullet had hit her. "You're quite an impressive shot. Had I not inherited Hero blood from my father, I would have died." The girl sniffed and looked back up to Mara as she continued. "I took the liberty of inspecting the pistol that you used to shoot me. Nothing to brag about, really. Actually, it's a rather worthless piece of shit." She could practically feel Hobson tense up at the sound of her cursing in public, but she didn't care at all. She looked down at the girl, and softened her tone. "You didn't mean to kill me at all, did you?"

A sob broke through the girl's chest as she shook her head. "I was just so angry, Majesty. He—he killed my brother. I was only taking the pistol to sell it, I never meant to use it to shoot anyone!"

"I know," Mara said quietly, and she looked at the ground. "Logan killed someone very dear to me as well. If I were you, I don't believe I would have done any different." She took a deep breath, and raised her voice so that the crowd could hear her clearly. "That is why you will not be executed."

The crowd gasped and a wave of murmurs filled the room. Mara lifted her hand to quiet them, and looked back down at Tamara. "I am tired of pointless killing. There is no need to end this girl's life." She turned around to sit back down in her throne. "However, you will not go without punishment."

Tamara squeezed the fabric of her skirt, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"You will remain here in the castle, and you will serve me directly. You will work to earn your keep."

The girl fell to the ground, overcome with tears and sobbing into the floor. "Thank you, your Majesty! Thank you, thank you!"

Mara nodded to the guards to release her, and when her hands were free of irons, a maid led her away to get her settled in the servant's quarters.

Ben leaned down to whisper to Mara. "You sure about this?"

She turned and smiled to him. If the room wasn't full of people, she might have closed the distance between them and kissed him there.

"Absolutely."


	17. Chapter 17 - Alone in the Dark

**Eh, I might as well go ahead and post this chapter too...I'll probably be too busy to write for the next couple of weeks. :(**

* * *

**Chapter 17**

**Alone in the Dark**

* * *

About a month had passed since Mara had taken the throne, and the treasury had, by the grace of Avo himself, grown to two million. She knew that such progress should have elated her, but at this moment, as she sat at her desk reading over one of the most important proposals she would come across this year, her heart sank as she calculated the amount of money it would cost her.

Kalin stood before her, with Hobson, Walter, and Ben beside, waiting for Mara to make her decision. She had promised to do what Logan could not; to bring Aurora into Albion's protection. Such a move would admit Aurora as a free state under Albion's jurisdiction, and would certainly improve the trade and economy of both countries, but the move would cost the Albion treasury no less than 900,000.

Mara knew her duty to Kalin. She had that promise in writing, and with the Crawler's attack a certainty now was no time to break that promise. She sighed, rubbed her temples, and reached for her quill.

"With this," Mara said quietly as she penned her signature, "Aurora shall be rebuilt as a free state of Albion, and a military outpost will be built to ensure its protection." She set down her pen and leaned back in her chair. "Preparations will begin immediately. A military official will be sent to Aurora to oversee its establishment."

Kalin nodded, her sweet smile lighting up her face. "I thank you, Majesty. You have proven to be a woman of honor. Aurora is proud to stand at your side."

Walter grunted as he fell into a chair, watching as Hobson collected the papers and hurried out the door. "Very good, my dear. Now have you given any thought to who shall be the military official you send to Aurora?"

Mara brought her hand to her face to rub her chin. She had thought about it. She knew who the obvious choice was, but she didn't want to admit it. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Captain," she said, turning to look at him. "You are the best man for the job. Are you willing to travel to Aurora and oversee construction of the fort?"

Ben stood in silence for a moment, studying her brown eyes. "I'm honored, Majesty, really, but…"

Mara bit her tongue, and a selfish part of her wished that he would refuse. She was so afraid to face the year without him, but she knew she had to do what was best for the kingdom. All the same, she found that her heart hurt when he nodded.

"I accept," he said quietly, "I will go to Aurora at once."

* * *

The night came quickly over Albion as it usually did, and Logan shifted on his cot as he tried to doze off. The lantern that hung outside his cell flickered in a breeze that had come through a grate in the ceiling, making him jump. He chuckled at his reaction, and lay back down again.

He thought he had dozed off when he felt the eyes upon him. They were in the shadows, staring, watching, waiting.

Hissing, laughing.

Logan realized he couldn't move. His eyes were open, and he could see the shadows, crawling into his cell from every corner; squeezing through the bars, seeping through the cracks in the walls. Red, bloody eyes.

With a shout, Logan found the strength to leap to his feet, and he saw that the lantern had gone out. He threw himself against the door of his cell, gripping the iron bars with sweaty palms.

"Guard!" he cried, his voice cracking in his panic, "Guard! The light is out! Guard, please bring light! Please!"

A hurried set of footsteps rushed to his door, and in a moment the lantern was lit again. The guard watched with a confused look on his face as Logan sighed, melting down into the floor now that the shadows were gone.

* * *

A light tap on the door made Mara jump a little, and she shook her head, standing from her vanity and tying her robe closed. "Come in."

She smiled when she saw the handsome blonde man who entered, and he shut the door behind him before staring at her for a long, silent moment.

"Do you really want me to go to Aurora?"

Mara's smile faded, and despite her better judgment, she slowly shook her head. "No."

Ben stepped toward her and brought his hand up to her cheek. "Then why are you sending me?"

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "A fort in Shifting Sands could mean the safety of Aurora. I trust you more than anyone for this job, Ben. I can't be selfish."

She felt his lips touch her eyelids, then her temple, then her ear, his stubble tickling her skin and sending shivers down her spine. His voice, though no more than a whisper, sounded pleading. "Just say the word, and I'll turn down the assignment."

Mara lifted her arms to wrap herself around his neck. "I know. But I need you in Aurora, Ben."

He sighed, and leaned away from her, running his hands through his hair. The job in Aurora would take months at the very least; he wouldn't be back to Bowerstone until the Crawler was nearly at their door. "Gods," he breathed, and he leaned against the vanity, noticing a pile of papers under his hand. "What are these?" he asked, cocking his head to look.

Mara snorted as she turned to pull the curtains shut over the balcony doors. "Marriage proposals from nobles." She didn't see Ben clench his jaw as he read through them. "Can you believe it? I told Hobson to throw them out, but he keeps slipping them into my notes and claiming it to be an accident."

She heard the pile of papers being thrown to the floor, and before she could turn to look, Ben's strong arms were firmly around her waist, pulling her close into his body. She tried turned her head to ask him what was wrong, but before she could speak, his rough lips were crushed to hers.

Gods, she loved this man so much it hurt.

Mara unhooked his hands from her waist so that she could turn around and face him, and he broke the kiss to look her in the eyes. His own blue eyes were sad, almost pained as they dug into hers. They gazed at each other for only a moment before their mouths hungrily found each other's again, and the fire was lit.

He loved her so much. Sweet Avo, it had to be a crime.

It wasn't the first time he had touched her, but it might as well have been. Every feeling, every taste, every sound…it all drove him mad. Even as he found himself tangled with her on the bed, exploring her body as if they had never made love before, he had to tell himself it was a dream else he might lose his sanity.

With all the nobles in the kingdom pining for her hand, how had the Gods allowed such a perfect woman, Albion's Hero Queen, to belong to this undeserving rogue?

He would ask himself that question for the rest of his life.

* * *

Tamara had been working as a servant in the castle for an entire month before the others began to even acknowledge her. She understood why they didn't like her; she had tried to kill the queen, after all. The only one who immediately took to her was the old cook, Marianne, a plump woman of about sixty who would swoon over the color of Tamara's hair every time she entered the kitchens.

This night was no different. As the butlers and maids left the kitchen after their late dinner to turn in for the night, Tamara snuck past them to snack on the leftovers. Marianne smiled widely and wiped her hands on her apron before playing with a handful of the girl's red curls. "Ya don't have to hide from 'em, deary. Just come an' have supper with the rest of 'em and they'll warm up to ya before ya know it."

Tamara shrugged. "I don't mind, really. I think I deserve it."

"Now, now, I'll have none o' that talk. The queen pardoned ya, did she not?"

Tamara sighed and nodded, bringing a smile to the woman's wrinkled face. She suddenly clapped her hands and hurried over to the counter to grab a plate that had been covered with a cloth. "Ah, I almost forgot, deary. If ya don't mind, before ya go off to bed, would ya mind takin' this to Logan down below? He hasn't had much since this mornin'."

The girl frowned. "Why do you make meals for him, anyway? He's a prisoner, shouldn't he be treated as such?"

Marianne smiled sweetly, her grey eyes twinkling. "He's not so bad, deary, now that he's not king anymore. I watched that boy grow up from a little tyke, I did. Been makin' his supper every day since even before King Sparrow died. I won't stop now, not even now that he's livin' in the dungeon."

Tamara sighed and took the plate, giving Marianne a small smile before heading reluctantly down to deliver it.

It was strange being allowed past the guards even after she had spent a night in a cell a month prior. They even politely saluted her when she passed, and she gripped the plate nervously as she approached the cell that held Logan.

She still hadn't forgiven him. Though she had heard his mournful tears as he lamented his actions to her, she still could not find it within herself to forgive him for killing her brother. The queen was infinitely stronger than her for that alone.

The man was sitting on his cot when she arrived, and he actually smiled at her when she slid the plate through the slot in the door designated for such. He gratefully took the meal, and sat back down on the cot to eat. She shifted her weight uncomfortably.

"Aren't you going to leave?" He asked as he took a bite of bread.

"I have to take the plate back."

"Oh." Logan looked down at his food and grinned in a way that Tamara could only describe as pleasant, but she refused to do so. "I'll hurry, then."

Tamara nodded, and looked around the dungeon to distract herself. It wasn't as dark as she remembered, and she realized that Logan had a few candles in the cell with him. She was sure prisoners shouldn't be allowed to have access to fire, but she allowed herself to ignore it.

Curious now that the cell was lit, she turned her eyes to inspect the former king. She realized that she had never actually seen him in person, only on propaganda posters and in paintings. Every picture she had seen had painted him with harsh, pointed lines, emaciating him into a skeletal creature. Looking upon him now, despite her hatred for him, she had to admit to herself that he looked nothing like the way he was depicted. His features were indeed sharp, but the short beard on his face seemed to soften his look, and humanized him a bit. She might even admit that he was a rather handsome man; the resemblance between he and his sister was striking as well.

His voice interrupted her thoughts and made her jump a little. "I'm glad to see that you're well." He looked up at her with tired brown eyes, and Tamara clenched her jaw in anger at how kind they looked. "I had no doubt my sister would spare you."

She furrowed her brow. "Why?" She asked quietly.

Logan sighed. "She's much stronger than I am. She knows how to value life in the way I could not." He shook his head. "I executed people who threatened me because I was afraid. I was a coward. And that is the absolute thing that Mara is not."

Tamara crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. The man she knew to be a heartless monster was actually feeling remorse for his actions.

He cleared his throat as he finished his meal and stood to hand her the plate. She took it without looking at him, and turned to leave.

"Who did I kill?"

She stopped dead in her tracks.

Logan leaned against the door of his cell. "Who did I kill that you loved so much?"

Tamara took a deep breath and answered without looking back. "My brother. He fought and died at Fort Mourningwood. For your glory."

Logan nodded sadly to himself as he watched the girl leave.

* * *

Someone was watching. She could feel it. The back of her head was tingling with the awareness.

Mara quickly opened her eyes. She was lying in bed, still nude from her previous diversion, with her head resting underneath Ben's chin. She slowly lifted her hand to rest on his stomach as she felt his chest rise and fall with his steady breath, deep in sleep.

She looked around the room, afraid to move. There was something there.

Her eyes scanned over the darkness; over the blanket that covered them, across the walls, up the curtains that lined the door…

To see the eyes.

She held her breath.

Red, glowing eyes.

She blinked.

They stared.

Then there were more. Eyes, watching. On the walls, in the corners, behind the furniture. Little faces that watched her as she stared at them in frozen horror.

Hissing. Hissing laughter.

Mara felt her whole body tense as she ordered herself to move, but she could not. Ben was still sound asleep next to her, peacefully unaware that they were not alone in the darkness.

A shadowy hand suddenly grabbed at the blankets at the foot of the bed, and Mara saw, in terrified paralysis, a pair of glowing red eyes rise to gaze at her. A faint whisper floated over the bed to her ears.

_We are coming. We will devour your kingdom._

Mara's voice escaped her in a strangled cry and she shot upward. She found herself sitting up in bed, staring at the darkness, huffing for breath.

Ben jolted awake at the sound of Mara's shout and jumped up, reaching to his side for a pistol that wasn't there. He looked around as quickly as his sleepy eyes could allow, and saw that there was no threat. Mara was shaking uncontrollably, taking shallow breaths and holding her head tightly between her hands as if she had awoken from some terrible nightmare. He gently inched forward to sit next to her, and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"Mara," he said quietly, still taking the time to look around the dark room, "Love, you're alright."

A sob ripped through her lungs when Mara leaned into Ben's chest as he held her, and she once again lost control of her breath. "The—the Darkness…"

Ben realized suddenly what she meant. She had been dreaming of the Crawler. He squeezed her tighter and kissed her hair. "Shh, it's gone now, Love."

"Please, Ben, I need light."

He held her for a moment longer before obliging her request. Without a thought to his naked state, he rose from the bed to fetch a candle, and when it was lit he could see Mara relax into the comfort of the glow. He took his place by her side again, and she melted back into his arms as sleep conquered her once more.


	18. Chapter 18 - Sleepless

**DUDES. ALL THE APOLOGIES FOR THE WAIT. I have been the super-est of busies this past month(s?) and I cannot believe I let myself go so long without working on this story. What with NOT graduating on time and moving into a new house, then taking more classes and renovating said house, it's been a long and busy summer so far. I've had more fun getting lost in other people's work on this site than actually getting some work done on my own. Oops.**

**I must admit, this chapter may not be up to par in my opinion, but I could not allow myself another day without updating. This story will probably go through some rewrites in the future so maybe by then I'll have my crap together.**

* * *

**Chapter 18**

**Sleepless  
**

* * *

Despite his adamant protests, Ben Finn was promoted to Major as soon as preparations for Aurora went underway. Mara distracted herself with her duties, trying not to think about his departure as the days went on. It really didn't help matters, though, that the striking Major found his way into her bed every night and made it that much harder to let go.

Even now, as she lay slightly on top of him using his stomach as a pillow, she looked up at her handsome lover and cursed him for making it so incredibly difficult to get over him. Neither of them dared to go to sleep this night, as once the sun rose he would leave for the Bowerstone docks.

Mara rested her chin against his hard stomach, letting her head rise and fall with his breath as he sat his head up against the pillows. She reached up to trace a scar on his chest with the tips of her fingers. "What's this one from?"

"Hmm." He looked down at the scar and smirked. "Let's see, I believe that one was the work of a bandit near Mistpeak from my body guarding days."

Mara traced her fingers down to another, round scar that looked like it had been made with a bullet. "And this one?"

"Hobbes. Bugger got me in Dankwater while I was looking for some rare book."

Mara smiled and continued to trace over map of muscles and scars on his chest, memorizing every detail with the tips of her fingers. "Do you miss adventuring?"

Ben shrugged. "Sure I do. Exploring places barely touched by humans, looking for hidden treasure, sleeping under the stars…it's quite a life."

He saw her eyes twinkle with curiosity, much like a child who was hearing a magnificent adventure story for the first time. "Did you ever find any hidden treasure?"

Ben smiled to himself when he thought of an outrageously cheesy response, that _she_ was the most amazing treasure he had ever found, but the need to seem more masculine in the eyes of the woman he loved overtook that idea. He reached out to play with a strand of her hair as he deliberated. "I found an old statue once in Silverpines. Apparently it belonged to some old family and it kept getting lost or stolen. Had to battle a white balverine to get to it."

"A white balverine?" Mara raised her eyebrows, awed by the mere mention of the mythical beast. "What did it look like?"

Ben snickered. "It looked like a white balverine, what do you think?" Mara hit him hard on the arm, making him yelp like a small dog. "Alright, alright! As I recall, it was about twice the size of a normal balverine, huge bastard. He had white fur, really more of a silver actually. Beautiful creature." He winked at her. "But a bit of an attitude problem."

She giggled, and the sound made his smile widen as far as his face would allow. "I always wanted to be an adventurer," she said, looking down at her hand as it traced mindless designs over Ben's torso, "I used to pretend I was a Hero like my father, and I would reenact all of his adventures as he told them to me." Ben watched a hint of sadness pass over her face. "I wonder what my childhood self would have thought of me now."

Ben watched her for a moment before stretching his hands out and putting them behind his head. "Well, I can say that she might be elated to see you've ended up with such a ruggedly handsome lover."

Mara's smile slowly returned as she looked back up at him. "No, she would have been upset that you're not nearly as tall as she would have liked."

With a playful growl, Ben tackled her and pinned her beneath him, eliciting more heavenly giggles from his Queen that he promptly muffled with a rough kiss.

* * *

The morning was insultingly bright and happy as Major Finn walked up and down the dock inspecting his soldiers. They seemed to be in perfect shape to leave for Aurora, and every moment that passed made his mood even grumpier. With a wave of his hand, he released them to board the ship, and he stood at the end of the pier with his hands on his hips as he heaved a great sigh. "Bloody hell."

Of the soldiers that were selected to leave for Aurora, one of them, known as Morris, had fought with Ben at Fort Mourningwood. He remembered the Captain, now Major, as being one of high spirits, but as they boarded the ship to Aurora, he felt as though Finn had lost some of that spark. Upon seeing him, he looked to have aged a bit, or perhaps just showing signs of exhaustion and worry. It was very uncharacteristic of him, and Morris couldn't help but spy on Finn as he stood by himself on the dock, taking in the view of the city for one last time before departure. What had happened to the man? Why had he changed so much in the past months?

Almost as soon as Finn had taken a step onto the gangplank, a voice echoed over the pier, calling out for him. Morris watched as the Major noticeably lit up for just a moment as he searched for the source of the voice. He was met on the dock by a figure who was quite obviously a woman, but was dressed in men's clothing and had a hat covering her face, as if she did not want to be recognized. A black and white collie dog bounded happily at her heels. Finn grabbed the woman by the waist, lifting her in the air and hugging her tightly before planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

_Oh_, Morris thought to himself with a smirk, _that's why_.

* * *

Tamara was sure Hobson would have cut off her head if he could; for some reason he was blaming the queen's disappearance on her. He paced frantically in the queen's bedchambers trying to get his head together, as the girl watched patiently by the windows.

The little man jumped with a shout when the door to the room was opened, and Aldous entered, followed by a figure dressed in plain men's clothes. Upon taking off the hat, the figure revealed itself to be Her Majesty, and Hobson cried out in astonishment.

"Your Highness! What on earth are you wearing?"

The queen gave Tamara a quizzical look. "Hobson, what on earth are you doing in my quarters?"

"Looking for you, Majesty!" He huffed angrily, pointing an accusing finger at the queen. "You nearly gave me a heart attack, disappearing like that! Where did you go?"

"That is none of your concern, Hobson," the queen said, handing her hat to Tamara. "Now if you don't mind excusing yourself, I have to change my clothes."

The little sphere of a man straightened himself and let out a frustrated "hmph" before wobbling out the door, shutting it a quickly behind him.

The queen sighed as she began to undress, and Tamara helped her into her corset. The girl bit her lip as she began lacing the garment, but her curiosity got the better of her. "If you don't mind me asking, Majesty, where did you go?"

"Just…out. I needed some air."

Tamara knew there was more, and she was sure she would regret pressing further. "Did you go to say goodbye to that handsome soldier? Major Finn, is it?"

The queen whirled her head around to gawk at the girl, her mouth searching for a rebuttal but finding none. After a moment of stunned silence, she let out her breath and turned back around.

"How did you know?"

Tamara tried not to smile at finding the queen's sudden weakness. After building an image in her mind of a strong, independent, fearless monarch, it all unraveled at the mention of a man. She was human, after all, and now far less intimidating.

"I've seen him sneak into your chambers a few times. But I didn't tell anyone, don't worry."

"Thank you."

They were silent for a moment as Tamara finished lacing the corset, and helped the queen into a purple dress.

"Do you love him?" She asked quietly.

The queen turned her head as if to look at the girl, but instead her gaze was led longingly to the windows. "Very much."

* * *

Page paced angrily on the other side of Mara's desk, absolutely fuming from the ears. "I can't believe this. You have a responsibility to those children!"

Mara sighed and pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples. "Page, we do not have the money."

"Bullshit!"

The Queen let her hands drop to her lap and she looked back up at her friend, who was now throwing her fist down onto the wood of King Sparrow's desk. "You have the money and you won't spend it!"

"You know that's not true, Page." Mara leaned forward, utterly exhausted. "But every piece of gold we have must be saved for the army."

Her friend took in a sharp breath and growled. "And you cannot spare any for the orphans of Industrial? You made a promise, Mara!"

The Queen stood. "I have no intentions of breaking that promise, Page—"

"I might have forgiven you for postponing repairs to the Old Quarter," the woman said through clenched teeth, and she looked up at Mara with utter hatred in her gaze. "But to deny the children of Albion a safe haven after fighting for their freedom?" She shook her head. "You are not the woman I fought to put on the throne."

Mara felt her hands curl into fists, and her chest tightened beneath her corset. There was nothing more she could say to try and convince Page, and she turned away to keep herself from bursting into tears.

"I do not think you can have anything more to say, Page," she said harshly. "You are free to leave."

She listened as her friend angrily stomped out of the room, slamming her fists into the door on her way out. She took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay.

* * *

It was around two in the morning when Mara's eyes shot open. The familiar feeling of dread had washed over her in her sleep, and she hastily turned over to find comfort in her bedmate.

But he wasn't there.

She felt her breath hasten as she felt the empty spot next to her, cold and untouched. A small whimper escaped her as she clutched the sheets in her fists, and Aldous lifted his head from his spot at her feet to watch.

Mara shivered when a breeze floated into her room through the open balcony doors, and she watched as the curtains billowed over the floor. She did not remember leaving the door open, and she could not find the strength to move her legs in order to close it.

Another, stronger gust of wind barreled through the doors, and Mara caught her breath when it reached the candle on her bedside, extinguishing the flame and bringing darkness to the room. She listened intently to the deafening silence that followed.

She knew what would come next, and she did not have Ben with her to wake her from the nightmare.

Eyes.

The eyes opened and blinked, watching her from all over the room. The clawed, shadowy hands reached out to her, grabbing at her bedsheets and reaching around the dog at the foot of the bed who was oblivious to his mistress' visions.

She clutched at her ears, squeezing her eyes shut. "Go away!" She shouted, shaking her head at the whispers she heard.

Aldous stood and jumped off the bed to pace nervously next to her.

_We are coming._

She shook her head.

_We will devour your kingdom._

Mara rocked herself as they taunted her, laughing and hissing in the darkness. It could have been minutes, hours, even days before she heard the voices slip slowly into silence, and she let out a small sob before allowing herself to open her eyes.

To see _it_.

It was standing at the foot of her bed, all three pairs of eyes trained on her. Its tentacled face morphed into what could have been a smile, its claws reaching out to touch her feet…

Mara screamed, her voice ripping through her throat with a violence that sent the apparition back into the darkness.

The door to her bedchamber burst open, and Mara squeezed her eyes shut, holding her head in her hands.

Tamara hurried to the balcony door and closed it as Walter rushed to sit next to the queen, putting his hands on her arms.

She could not hear herself, but Mara could feel that she was still screaming.

"What's wrong with her?" Tamara gasped, looking worriedly from the queen to Walter. The old knight sighed. "Nightmares, my dear." He tried to sooth Mara back into sleep, but her cries only got louder, her hold on her head tighter and her movements more violent as she thrashed in his arms.

Walter shook his head and turned to the guards who stood at the door. "Quick, bring Logan here!"

The guards looked at each other before saluting the knight, and hurried down to the dungeons to fetch the ex-king.

* * *

Logan jumped to his feet when he heard the scuffling of boots thundering down the corridor toward his cell. There had been little to no activity in the dungeons besides his daily visits from the girl named Tamara at dinner time, so the sudden activity in the middle of the night sent a jolt of shock and a bit of trepidation flowing through his veins.

The shock and trepidation turned to fear when he was told his sister needed him right away, and he bolted out of the door toward the stairs, ignoring the shouts from the guards behind him who more than likely thought he was making a break for his freedom. He pressed forward as fast as he could until he reached the corridor that led to her chambers.

He knew instantly that the screams were Mara's. They were echoing throughout the hall, and the sound sent a new wave of adrenaline through his blood, pushing him even faster to her bedroom, desperate to find her.

The first thing he saw was the fiery red hair of Tamara, who jumped in surprise when he crashed through the doors. She worriedly gestured toward the bed, where he turned his gaze to find Walter holding Mara in his brawny arms, he himself having also been ripped from sleep as he wore nothing but his sleeping gown. Mara was shaking, clutching her head so tightly she might have pulled her hair out, and Logan felt his heart ache at the sight.

Without even a thought to the fact that he had not bathed in weeks and certainly smelled the part, Logan pushed past Walter and climbed onto his sister's bed, hastily pulling her into his arms and holding her as tightly as he could. The old knight moved to stand by Tamara, and he put a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder as she watched the siblings with concern, clutching the hem of her nightdress.

Mara continued to scream, and Logan squeezed her to his chest, grabbing one of her hands and trying to pry it free from her hair. "Shh," he whispered, kissing the top of her head, "Mara, you're alright."

The guards had reached the room by now, huffing for breath after their chase, and they looked on as Logan rocked the queen gently in his arms.

After a moment, the screams turned to sobs, and Mara's grip on her hair loosened as she dared herself to open her eyes. Logan rubbed her back as she turned her red, puffy eyes upward toward him, and new tears formed as the recognition set in.

"Logan?" Her raspy voice was no more than a whisper.

"Yes, my darling sister."

Mara's brow pinched together tightly and she squeezed her eyes shut once more as a new wave of sobs overtook her, and she threw herself at her brother, clutching to his dirty clothes nearly to the point of ripping them off.

Logan held her for what seemed like hours, and he did not notice when the others slipped out of the room. He only noticed when his sister finally fell asleep in his arms, and even then he did not let her go.


End file.
